U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders has won the first Democratic primary for American citizens living abroad, marking the first ballots cast for Super Tuesday. Democratic primaries will be taking place across dozens of countries.
The first votes were cast at the Public Bar and Eatery in Wellington, New Zealand, at midnight local time on Tuesday. kicking off Super Tuesday primaries across the world. It also marked the first Democratic primary to take place outside the United States.
Julia Bryan, the international secretary of Democrats Abroad, said a total of 28 ballots were cast in Tuesday’s primary at the Public Bar and Eatery, of which 21 went to Sanders, 6 went to Clinton, and 1 was declared invalid. Two additional primaries will take place elsewhere in Wellington at later times.
“Tonight’s opportunity for U.S. Democrats living in New Zealand to cast the first votes on Super Tuesday was a great success. Our turnout was small, but like our fellow Americans in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, we’ve made our voices heard about the issues that matter to us,” said Kat Allikian, the Chair of Democrats Abroad New Zealand.
The Democrats Abroad Presidential Primary takes place between March 1 and March 8, with in-person voting taking place across 40 countries, 22 of which hold primaries on Super Tuesday alone. The primary, which is open to any American citizen, has 13 pledged delegates that are up for grabs, as well as 4 superdelegates.
In the run-up to the primary, Sanders was the only candidate to take part in the Democrats Abroad Global Town Hall, which was broadcast online and was viewed by more than 2,000 Americans across the world. Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright spoke on behalf of Clinton.
Initial results from the global primary are expected next week once all locations have voted, though official results will not be released until March 21, when all votes have been confirmed at the Global Voter Tally Center in Germany. The Republican Party does not organize primaries outside the United States.
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