The biggest day of the presidential primary calendar may not be so big this year.
As President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump race toward their parties’ respective nominations, it may feel to some like the presidential primaries are already over. But in truth, most states have yet to weigh in.
That will change next month, on Super Tuesday, when voters across 15 states and one U.S. territory are set to sound off on their preferred candidate for president.
Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know.
What’s Super Tuesday?
Super Tuesday is the unofficial name for the date of the presidential election cycle on which the greatest number of states hold their primary elections. As such, roughly one-third of the total delegates to the presidential nominating conventions can be won on Super Tuesday.
The date can fall in either February or March, depending on when the early voting states hold their primary contests. This year, Super Tuesday falls on March 5.
Who Votes on Super Tuesday?
The number of Super Tuesday states can vary as each state chooses its presidential primary date in accordance with its own laws. The 15 states voting this year are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia. Residents of the territory of American Samoa will also cast their ballots.
New this year is that Iowa will be announcing results on Super Tuesday. While Iowa Republicans held their traditional caucuses on Jan. 15, the state’s Democrats opted to break with tradition and hold a vote-by-mail caucus, with the results to be announced on March 5. The change is a result of the Democratic National Committee’s controversial decision to make South Carolina the first state on its primary calendar.
What’s the History Behind Super Tuesday?
Tuesday has been the day of choice for federal elections since the mid-19th century when Congress passed a law designating the Tuesday after the first Monday in November as Election Day. But what is now known as Super Tuesday did not become a common occurrence until much later.
The National Constitution Center cites May 25, 1976, as one of the earliest Super Tuesdays, on which six states held their presidential primary contests. In 1980, the phenomenon continued when seven primaries and caucuses were held on March 11.
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