A primary calendar revamp
The Democratic National Committee has advanced a primary calendar that looks drastically different from past years. South Carolina has taken the first-in-the-nation spot, Iowa is nowhere to be seen among the preliminary states, and New Mexico is making its debut in the early window.
The Democratic National Committee rules require one state from each of the four regions of the country to hold its nominating contests before Super Tuesday. Many states sought a spot in the early window. The four regions are shown below.
After a long deliberation process, the following states were selected to represent each of their respective regions in the early window before Super Tuesday. This is the first time in 50 years that Iowa is not the first state to host a nominating contest.
Together, these states will set the tone for who becomes the Democratic Party nominee. This particular map will amplify the impact of black and Hispanic voters. Below is each of the states and their historic voting patterns.
However, after all the early states hold nominating contests, the nation will arrive at Super Tuesday. Over a thousand delegates will be up for grabs, with many coming from southern states where African American voters will have the final say. California will also play a significant role, with many prospective candidates expecting strong performances in the nation's largest state.
All contests in the early window are dwarfed by Super Tuesday, the largest single day of primary contests nationwide. The graphic below compares Super Tuesday with the nominating contests in the early window.
