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    March 13, 2012

Polls Close in Alabama, Mississippi Republican Primaries

   VOA News
   Danny Cooper, of Chilton County, Ala. waves to motorists outside a
   polling place, in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, March 13, 2012. Photo: AP
   Danny Cooper, of Chilton County, Ala. waves to motorists outside a
   polling place, in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, March 13, 2012.

   The polls have closed in Alabama and Mississippi after voters cast
   ballots Tuesday in the Republican presidential primaries in the two
   southern U.S. states.
   Exit polls are showing Mitt Romney is barely ahead of Rick Santorum in
   Mississippi, while Santorum is leading Romney in Alabama. The other top
   candidate, Newt Gingrich, is in third place in both states.
   The results of the races in Alabama and Mississippi, two predominantly
   conservative states, are important to each of the candidates.
   Romney is hoping for victories to propel him forward and prove he can
   win over very conservative and evangelical Christian Republicans, who
   have been drawn to his main rival, former U.S. senator Santorum.
   Santorum wants to knock Gingrich out of the race to stand as the sole
   conservative challenger to Romney.
   Gingrich, a former U.S. House speaker, has focused his efforts on the
   southern vote and is hoping victory on Tuesday will make him the
   comeback favorite for the nomination. Otherwise, he could face
   increased calls to drop out.
   Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, is far ahead of the others in
   the delegate count, winning nearly 40 percent of the 1,144 needed to
   secure the party's nomination.
   A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows he leads U.S. President
   Barack Obama in a hypothetical election match-up (49 to 47 percent),
   while Santorum would be in a competitive race, three points behind (46
   to 49 percent) Mr. Obama, if the election were held now.
   The other Republican candidate, U.S. Representative Ron Paul, has not
   won a nominating contest. He has single digit support in Alabama and
   Mississippi.
   The Pacific island state of Hawaii and the U.S. territory of American
   Samoa are holding caucus elections on Tuesday.
   The Republican Party will formally nominate its presidential candidate
   at its convention in Tampa, Florida, in late August. The nominee will
   face Mr. Obama, a Democrat, in the November election.

   Some information for this report was provided by Reuters.

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