Why is Super Tuesday so important?

• Why is Super Tuesday important?
• 16 states will hold primaries on March 5, 2024.
• What’s at stake?

More than a third of the total delegates that are up for grabs in the presidential primaries for both Republicans and Democrats will be won on Super Tuesday.

This is when 16 states and one U.S. territory will vote for the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates, according to The Associated Press.

On the Republican side, 854 out of 2,429 delegates will be decided on Super Tuesday.

Super Tuesday is a turning point

Traditionally, Super Tuesday is the most important day on the presidential primary calendar, in terms of the number of states holding primaries and caucuses, as well as the number of delegates at stake.

Democrats will compete for 1,420 delegates. No one will secure the nomination on Super Tuesday, but the frontrunners of both parties will be able to get quite close.

Former President Donald Trump has a total of 244 delegates and needs 971 more to reach the so-called «magic number» of 1,215.

If he reaches that number, he will have secured a majority of the available delegates for the Republican convention and will be considered the party’s presumptive nominee.

March 12 is a key date for Trump

The earliest Trump can reach that number is March 12. The Republican candidate won more victories over the weekend in Michigan, Idaho and Missouri.

Nikki Haley, the last remaining significant candidate on the Republican side, won all 19 delegates in the District of Columbia primary.

Trump could secure the nomination if he wins around 90% of the delegates in dispute by March 12.

Republican delegate rules vary from state to state, but their system generally allows frontrunners to quickly amass large numbers of delegates.

Why is Super Tuesday important in California?

This is because many entities — including California, Super Tuesday’s biggest prize — award all their delegates to the candidate who wins the majority of votes.

In Texas, which has the second-highest number of delegates available, 150 delegates will be allocated based on Super Tuesday.

Although state officials say they will allocate another 11 at a state convention to be held in May.

The exact number of delegates available on a date may also change as state parties finalize their plans.

March 19 is a crucial date for Biden

On the Democratic side, President Joe Biden is poised to add a significant number of delegates.

Biden’s current magic number is 1,968, although that could change slightly depending on how the party decides to handle New Hampshire.

That state violated party rules by holding its Democratic primary in January.

The earliest Biden can reach that number is March 19. Right now, he has 206 delegates.

Many people are voting ‘uncommitted’

Democrats allocate their delegates proportionally in all states, which — at least in theory — makes it easier for candidates at a disadvantage to win delegates.

Biden’s main rival, Representative Dean Phillips, has been unable to take advantage of this.

But these rules open the door for options like «uncommitted» or «no preference» votes to win delegates.

In this case they must meet the 15% vote threshold, either at the state level or in a legislative district.

Why is Super Tuesday important?

These «uncommitted» votes have been the only thing keeping Biden from a clean sweep so far.

Those delegates will go to the Democratic convention and can choose whom to endorse.

In Michigan, the «uncommitted» vote option secured two delegates.

Seven Super Tuesday states — including Iowa, whose result from mail-in voting will be announced on the same day — offer a similar «uncommitted» vote option.