What will changes in the US Democratic primary calendar mean?

South Carolina is replacing Iowa as the first US state to vote in primary elections.

The Democratic National Committee in the United States has approved President Joe Biden’s push to give Black and other minority voters more sway in the presidential nomination process.

Voters in all 50 US states get to choose between various contenders in the party primaries, a process that takes months. Those who start the race on a winning note tend to gain momentum for their candidacy.

For decades, Iowa has been the first state on the primary calendar, followed by New Hampshire – two of the least diverse states in the nation.

Now the first Democratic primary will be in South Carolina, where Black voters play a significant role.

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Douglass Sloan – Senior political analyst, National Capitol Strategy Group

Jason Shepherd – Attorney and assistant professor of political science at Kennesaw State University

Leslie Vinjamuri – Director of the US and the Americas Programme at Chatham House