What is Super Tuesday?

Super Tuesday is approaching quickly. You’ve probably heard the term “Super Tuesday” on the news and throughout the debates on television, however, do you really know what “Super Tuesday” is all about?

What is Super Tuesday?

Super Tuesday is arguably the most important day during the election primaries. This year, Super Tuesday lands on March 1. Twelve states and one territory will hold primary elections and caucuses in the weeks leading up to Super Tuesday. On Tuesday, the primary elections will essentially decide which candidates will be moving forward in the presidential race.

The polls that are a result of Super Tuesday help each party decide which candidate they would like to choose to move forward. On the Democratic ticket, the decision will be between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. On the Republican ticket, voters will have the choice between front-runner Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, John Kasich and Ben Carson.

When is Super Tuesday?

This day lands on a different date each year. This year, Super Tuesday lands on March 1. The day usually falls in late February or early March every four years (during an election year).

Which States are Involved in Super Tuesday?

Not all states are involved in the primary elections on Super Tuesday. As noted before, only 12 states and one territory have events leading up to and on Super Tuesday. Both Democrats and Republicans candidates hold caucus in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia. Republicans also hold caucuses in Alaska, North Dakota and Wyoming and Democrats hold caucus in American Samoa.

What Does Super Tuesday Mean?

Super Tuesday gives voters a chance to head to the polls and help each party decide which candidate to choose for the presidential race. However, it does not always happen that way. Currently, Hillary Clinton has an advantage over Bernie Sanders currently. Donald Trump is favored in the polls as well. However, after last night’s GOP debate, Trump may not continue to be a party favorite.

However, Hillary Clinton was favored over Barack Obama on Super Tuesday eight years ago, so Super Tuesday (while important) is not the deciding factor when it comes to who will be running for the office seat.

What is the SEC Primary?

Super Tuesday is also referred to as the SEC Primary at times. This is because five of the states (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Texas and Tennessee) are a part of the SEC conference. This means that the sports teams at the colleges in their state play in the SEC division.

What’s After Super Tuesday?

Both parties will not nominate an official candidate until July 2016. Other states will hold primaries and caucuses leading up to the official nomination of the candidate. Once a candidate for each party is chosen in July, the “real” race will begin when one Democrat and one Republican will go head-to-head in the race for (arguably) the most powerful position in the world. Republicans will meet in Cleveland in July and the Democrats will meet in Philadelphia to make their final candidate decisions.

Photos: Flickr: Denise Cross (1), DonkeyHotey (2)