That Magic Number

Just like in the General Election, it isn’t the popular vote in the Primaries and Caucuses that determines who becomes the Democratic and Republican nominees for President. Rather, it is a delegate system that determines the nominee. It is a very complicated system (and you can read more in depth about it here). Interestingly enough, a candidate can win a state but receive less delegates than the candidate that placed 2nd. Candidates that reach the “magic number” of delegates attain the nomination for their party. What are those numbers, you ask?

For the Democrats, it is 2,025.

For the Republicans, it is 1,191.

The delegate system is what makes certain states bigger “prizes” than others, as they offer larger number of delegates, and the Republicans often have “winner-takes-all” Primaries/Caucuses which only adds more tension to the race. For more on the delegates won by each candidate yesterday, stay tuned…individual posts will be coming at ya shortly…

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