Will it be Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden this November? The odds at politics betting sites say yes, but anything can happen on Super Tuesday.
You’ve seen the Super Bowl; now it’s time for Super Tuesday. We’re less than a week away from the most important date on the U.S. presidential primaries calendar; as a follow-up to our first look at Super Tuesday, let’s dig a little deeper and see exactly what’s on the line for this year’s hopefuls.
When Is Super Tuesday?
No doubt you’re already aware that March 5 is the big day, but if you’re going to cast your vote, you have to get to the polls before they close that evening. Here are the deadlines for each of the 16 states up for grabs:
- Alabama: 7 PM CT
- Alaska: 8 PM AKT
- Arkansas: 7:30 PM CT
- California: 8 PM PT
- Colorado: 7 PM MT
- Iowa: 8 PM CT
- Maine: 8 PM ET
- Massachusetts: 8 PM ET
- Minnesota: 8 PM CT
- North Carolina: 7:30 PM ET
- Oklahoma: 7 PM CT
- Tennessee: various
- Texas: 7 PM CT
- Utah: 8 PM MT
- Vermont: 7 PM ET
- Virginia: 7 PM ET
There isn’t a set deadline for the polls in Tennessee, although many will close at 8 PM ET; this list is unofficial, so you might want to consult your local election officials to make sure you have the right time for your state – or if you’re in American Samoa, where only the Democrats will caucus on March 5. The Republican caucus will reportedly take place on March 8, although some sources have both caucuses happening that day.
What’s At Stake For Super Tuesday?
As we mentioned previously, somewhere around 1,215 Republican delegates and 1,420 Democratic delegates will be awarded on March 5, more than enough for the leading candidates to put a definitive stamp on their nominations.
Now let’s break those numbers down by state/territory. We’ll also show you which regions are holding caucuses instead of primaries, and what type of primary/caucus it is. There are three types in play:
- Open: You can vote for either the Republican or Democratic nominee regardless of your affiliation, but not both.
- Closed: Only registered voters in your party may participate.
- Mixed: Unaffiliated voters allowed, and/or you can switch parties on voting day.
| Alabama (open primary) | 50 R, 52 D |
| Alaska (closed caucus) | 29 R |
| American Samoa (open caucus) | 6 D |
| Arkansas (open primary) | 40 R, 31 D |
| California (mixed primary) | 169 R, 424 D |
| Colorado (mixed primary) | 37 R, 72 D |
| Iowa (closed mail-in caucus) | 40 D |
| Maine (closed primary) | 20 R, 24 D |
| Massachusetts (mixed primary) | 40 R, 92 D |
| Minnesota (closed primary) | 39 R, 75 D |
| North Carolina (mixed primary) | 74 R, 116 D |
| Oklahoma (closed primary) | 43 R, 36 D |
| Tennessee (open primary) | 58 R, 63 D |
| Texas (open primary) | 161 R, 244 D |
| Utah (closed Rep caucus) | 40 R |
| Utah (open Dem primary) | 30 D |
| Vermont (open primary) | 17 R, 16 D |
| Virginia (open primary) | 45 R, 99 D |
How Are The Delegates Decided?
Voting in the Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses will determine which nominee gets which delegates. But different states go about it differently; some are winner-take-all, some are winner-take-most, and others are awarded proportional to the vote tally.
| Alabama | R: Most | D: Proportional |
| Alaska | R: Proportional | |
| American Samoa | D: Proportional | |
| Arkansas | R: Most | D: Proportional |
| California | R: Most | D: Proportional |
| Colorado | R: Most | D: Proportional |
| Iowa | D: Proportional | |
| Maine | R: Most | D: Proportional |
| Massachusetts | R: Most | D: Proportional |
| Minnesota | R: All | D: Proportional |
| North Carolina | R: Proportional | D: Proportional |
| Oklahoma | R: Most | D: Proportional |
| Tennessee | R: Most | D: Proportional |
| Texas | R: Most | D: Proportional |
| Utah | R: Most | D: Proportional |
| Vermont | R: Most | D: Proportional |
| Virginia | R: Proportional | D: Proportional |
As you can see, all the Democratic primaries and caucuses for Super Tuesday use a proportional system to award their delegates – but in each case, a candidate must receive at least 15% of the vote. That has yet to happen on the Democratic side; Joe Biden has swept all 91 delegates from the first three states on the calendar (Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina), with Dean Phillips receiving just 6.8% of the total popular vote.
Nikki Haley, meanwhile, has earned just 20 of 130 Republican delegates thus far despite receiving 36.8% of the popular vote. Donald Trump’s GOP has definitely stacked the Super Tuesday deck against Haley, but as they say, anything can happen.
