Super Tuesday explained - what it is and when these 15 states go to the polls
As the race for the White House hots up, one of the most important and pivotal days of the election campaign returns tomorrow.
March 5 is what's known as Super Tuesday in America as voters in 15 states select who they want to be their presidential candidate. It will also give us a better insight into how President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will fare in November's general election.
Hundreds of thousands of voters are set to go to the polls as they outline their favourite candidate to take a crack at taking the White House seat later this year.
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Nikki Haley is Trump's Republican rival for the presidential candidacy (Getty Images)What is Super Tuesday?
Super Tuesday is when the majority of states in the US vote in the presidential primary calendar. The GOP contest - also known as the Republican primaries - will be in all of these 15 states, while the Democrats will vote for a primary candidate in the same states except for Alaska. The result of the Democratic result in Iowa, which began weeks ago, is also expected to be announced.
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When is Super Tuesday and why is it called that?
As expected with the name, it falls on a Tuesday. Tomorrow, March 5, to be precise. It was given the name because there are more delegates at stake on the day than any other single day during the campaign - so it's a super important day.
On Super Tuesday 865 Republican delegates will be allocated and the winner of the GOP presidential nomination must collect 1,215 of those in total. On the same day, Democratic primaries will allocate a total of 1,420 delegates - 1,968 delegates are needed to win the Democratic nomination.
The Trump campaign has projected he will win at least 773 delegates on the day and clinch the nomination later in March. He currently has an estimated 247 delegates, while his Republican rival, Nikki Haley, has 43.
15 states across the US will vote and provide a better picture of how Donald Trump and Joe Biden can expect to fare (Getty Images)How many states are voting on Super Tuesday?
Voters from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and the US territory of American Samoa, will head to the polling stations.
Eleven out of those 15 states are holding GOP primaries which are open to more than just registered Republicans. Back in 2016, before Donald Trump entered the White House, the 77-year-old won eight of the states that are holding nominating contests this Super Tuesday. So far this year, Trump has won nearly every presidential nominating contest - only losing out to Nikki Haley in Washington D.C. on Sunday.
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His campaign hit out at Haley and labelled her "Queen of the Swamp" after the victory. Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, wrote on X ( Twitter ): "Tonight’s results in Washington D.C. reaffirm the object of President Trump’s campaign — he will drain the swamp and put America first. While Nikki has been soundly rejected throughout the rest of America, she was just crowned Queen of the Swamp by the lobbyists and DC insiders who want to protect the failed status quo. The swamp has claimed their queen."
Former President Donald Trump at a rally in Virginia at the weekend (Getty Images)Which contests are important on Super Tuesday?
With Joe Biden and Donald Trump tipped to be the favourites going head to head for a seat at the White House, eyes will be on North Carolina as a key battleground this week. That's because back in 2020, Trump beat Biden by just one percentage point.
Despite Colorado and Maine attempting to disqualify Trump on the grounds he allegedly incited insurrection, a Supreme Court judge ruled he would still remain in the ballot.
One other potential wildcard on Tuesday could be the fact multiple states are completely open to voters regardless of party registration. One example of that is Virginia, where Republican voters have a moderate reputation. The Old Dominion state might be Ms Haley's best hope of a consolation on what is projected to be a tough night for her.
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