Press Room

Must Read News

Yalla Vote on Super Tuesday!

AAI
Posted on Monday February 4, 2008

We’ve told you about what Arab Americans have done in early primary states like Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Florida, and it’s all led up to this. In one of the most anticipated days of presidential primary elections in recent memory, voters from 24 states across the country went to polling places and caucus sites on Tuesday, February 5. Democratic voters elected half of the delegates who will choose the Democratic nominee for president, while Republicans elected close to 40 percent of the delegates to their party’s nominating convention.

Amidst this historic primary atmosphere, the campaigns headed to states with some of the country’s largest Arab American populations, including California (715,000 Arab Americans), New York (405,000), New Jersey (240,000), Illinois (220,000), and Massachusetts (175,000).* Arab American voters had the potential to swing the outcome in several of the hotly contested primaries, and also to use their votes to secure additional delegates for candidates in states that award delegates proportionally.

Democrats will vote in 16 primaries and seven caucuses, the majority of which appear to be dead heats between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Republicans will turn out in 15 primaries and six caucuses, with Senator John McCain and former Governor Mitt Romney battling in several delegate-rich states. Former Governor Mike Huckabee and Congressman Ron Paul also have considerable support in a number of states.

Get Involved!

Depending on Tuesday’s outcome, both the Democratic and Republican races could continue in an intense “hunt for delegates” to bring to the nominating conventions. Even if you don’t live in a Super Tuesday state, it’s not too late to get involved! Campaigns on both sides will still be looking for volunteers on the ground, so if you’re interested in volunteering, fill out our Presidential Campaign Connection form. If you were volunteering for a candidate who is no longer in the race, you can fill out the form and support a candidate who’s still running.

Check out Washington Watch

For an in-depth analysis of the race, read AAI President James Zogby’s latest Washington Watch column. As Zogby writes, “This election was supposed to be over shortly after it started. It now appears that voters in states whose primaries are in late February and March, who once thought their votes would not matter, may end up being the deciding voice.” Don’t miss your chance to be part of history! Yalla vote and get involved!

Map key

Purple: States holding elections for both parties.
Blue: Democratic Party-only
elections.
Red: Republican Party-only elections.

*AAI reports are based upon estimates by Zogby International, whose research projects population figures at least three times that of census data. The decennial Census identifies only a portion of the Arab population through a question on “ancestry” on the census long form. Reasons for the undercount include the placement of and limits of the ancestry question (as distinct from race and ethnicity); the effect of the sample methodology on small, unevenly distributed ethnic groups; high levels of out-marriage among the third and fourth generations; and distrust/misunderstanding of government surveys among more recent immigrants