Super Tuesday: All you need to about the key date in US presidential elections

Tomorrow is Super Tuesday, one of the key dates in the run-up to the US presidential elections.

On this date, voters in at least 15 American states will cast their votes in primaries and elections for other key posts as both Democrats and Republicans look to formally zero-in on their presidential candidate. While Democrats can rest easy knowing that sitting President Joe Biden will be the party’s unopposed nominee, things look more interesting for the Republicans. Tuesday could prove one of the few chances remaining for former US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, to remain a serious contender for the Republican nomination over the current favourite, former US President Donald Trump.

With that in mind, here’s a look at what ‘Super Tuesday’ is, the key battlegrounds and why it matters.

What is Super Tuesday?

The term refers to the day in the early stages of the US Presidential election cycle when, instead of a single primary or caucus, a substantial group of states or territories go to polls. First coined in the 1980s, the term now has a firm place in America’s political vocabulary.

The number of states and delegates involved changes each cycle. This year, the Republican conventions will award 874 of 2,429 Republican delegates to the winners.

The elections are not just for presidential nominees — they also include contests for Senate, House of Representatives and state legislature seats.

When is Super Tuesday?

It falls on Tuesday, March 5 this year.

As a norm, it is held in March every election year, but in 2008 and 2004, it was held in February.

In 2020, Super Tuesday was held on March 3 and saw the participation of 14 states. Among Democrats, Joe Biden won in 10 states, securing 726 delegates while his competitor Bernie Sanders won in 4 states and claimed 505 delegates. Meanwhile, then incumbent Donald Trump beat his challenger Bill Weld almost unanimously.

Which states go to polls on this Super Tuesday?

A total of 15 states and one territory will vote for their presidential nominee this year. They are:

1. Alabama
2. Alaska (Republicans only)
3. Arkansas
4. California
5. Colorado
6. Iowa (Democrats only)
7. Maine
8. Massachusetts
9. Minnesota
10. North Carolina
11. Oklahoma
12. Tennessee
13. Texas
14. Utah
15. Vermont
16. Virginia

Which are the states to keep an eye on during Super Tuesday?

California: The Senate polls in the state will be in focus as voters choose the candidate to replace Democrat Dianne Feinstein, who had served as the US Senator from California from 1992 till she passed away last September. Latest polls show that Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff leading in the primary with 28%, followed by former professional baseball player and Republican Steve Garvey at 22%, and Democratic Rep. Katie Porter with 16%.

Texas: In the Lone Star State, Republican Ted Cruz’s Senate seat is being challenged by Democrats Colin Allred and Roland Gutierrez. Rice University political scientist Mark Jones, who co-authored a recently released poll, maintained that Cruz remains a very strong favourite to retain the post. “Colin Allred is a very strong favourite to win the Democratic nomination, and he has a good chance of doing so on March 5 and avoiding a costly May runoff,” he added.

What more to note about this Super Tuesday?

Overall, the importance of Super Tuesday this year has been marred by Nikki Haley’s poor performance in South Carolina and Michigan. So far, Haley has won only the Washington DC primary, which is considered largely inconsequential by the Republican party in terms of delegates. She has also failed to put up a strong fight against Donald Trump. Hence, her chances of remaining competitive against the widely popular Trump are slim.

However, Haley, when asked if she would drop out of the race if she loses to Trump on Super Tuesday, struck a defiant tone. “As long as we are competitive, as long as we are showing that there is a place for us, I’m going to continue to fight,” she said in an interview with NBC.

As for Democrats, as is the practice for a party to fully back their incumbent candidate, Joe Biden remains the favourite, having won over 95% of votes in South Carolina and 80% of votes in Michigan. There is a small section of Muslim voters who have refused to vote for him as a mark of protest against his continued support of Israel in the Gaza war.

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