With former first lady and New York Senator Hillary Clinton and Illinois Senator Barack Obama still waging strong, rival campaigns for the Democratic Party's nomination to be President, experts say there is a good chance American voters will elect the first female or first African American president this November.

U.S. voters are taking a major step toward choosing the next president Tuesday with primary or caucus contests in 24 states. Senator John McCain has surged into an early lead in states holding Republican contests, while Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama remain in a close struggle for party nominating delegates among Democrats. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has the latest from Washington.

U.S. Republicans and Democrats in 16 states have picked the economy as the most important issue facing the country.

U.S. Democrats living in Indonesia cast the first votes in the Super Tuesday round of primary elections. Chad Bouchard reports from Jakarta, where Senator Barack Obama was the favored candidate.

California is the biggest prize in the primary elections and caucuses Tuesday, known as Super Tuesday, when voters in more than 20 states will choose their nominees for the presidential election. California offers the largest number of delegates for the nominating conventions of both parties and Super Tuesday poll results are of great importance for the candidates. Mike O'Sullivan reports, the candidates are targeting voters in the West in a last-minute effort on this Super Tuesday.

On February 5, Tuesday, the USA is holding primaries in 24 states. In connection with the record number of states participating in the voting, the day of February 5 has been dubbed as Super Tuesday in the presidential race in the United States.

The candidates for the Republican and Democratic U.S. presidential nominations are campaigning hard in advance of Tuesday's crucial round of contests in 22 states. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports from Washington that California, New York and Illinois are among the states where voters will go to the polls on the so-called Super Tuesday.

The field of U.S. presidential contenders shrank by two as Democrat John Edwards and Republican Rudy Giuliani decided to end their campaigns. Giuliani was scheduled to endorse fellow Republican John McCain at a joint appearance later in the day in California. VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone has the latest on the presidential race from Washington.

Democratic and Republican U.S. presidential candidates are campaigning on promises to revive the economy, ahead of party nominating contests Saturday in the western U.S. state of Nevada and the southern state of South Carolina.

Presidential polls show John McCain at a low ranking on the election totem poll. Though he rides into battle with every aspect that we want from a president such as courage, solid moral standing and powerful leadership skills, we seem to be blinded by the medias views of the gossip of other candidates.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama continues to lead in the Iowa polls as citizens take to caucusing today in what could help shape the race for the White House come the Democratic Nomination.

The first votes in the Iowa caucuses will be counted on Thursday night. The caucuses, in which Democrats and Republicans get to choose their presidential candidates, are the traditional pre-elections leading up to the presidential elections in November. Both parties have large numbers of candidates eager to take over from President George W Bush. Voters in the state of Iowa are to give a first indication of who has the best chances of taking up residence in the White House.