What is Super Tuesday?

“Super Tuesday” is the name given to the biggest day of the U.S. primary election season.

Before the presidential campaigns can actually begin, members of the two political parties -- Republicans and Democrats -- need to select their presidential candidates. This is done using a long, confusing process in which every state gets a chance to vote for the hopefuls of their choice.

Each election year on a Tuesday, there is a day where many states carry out their primary elections at once. Because so many people vote on Super Tuesday, it can often be a make-or-break situation for candidates.

When did Super Tuesday begin?

The phrase was first used in 1980 when three states held their contests on March 11. In 1984, that number grew to nine, and in 1988 that number ballooned to 21 states holding primaries on the same day.

The largest Super Tuesday was in 2008, when a whopping 25 states went to the polls on Feb. 5.

How about this year?

This year, Democrats will hold 16 contests on Tuesday, March 3:

  • Alabama
  • American Samoa
  • Arkansas
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Democrats Abroad
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • Minnesota
  • North Carolina
  • Oklahoma
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Utah
  • Vermont
  • Virginia

California has the most delegates up for grabs – 415 – followed by Texas, with 228.

How does the election process work, exactly?

Basically, each state gets a certain number of “delegates” for each party, roughly correlated to population size. The percentage of votes each candidate earns corresponds to the number of delegates they win in that state.

To win the nomination on the first ballot, a candidate must secure a majority of the 3,979 pledged delegates: 1,991.

But if no one reaches 1,991 delegates after the primaries are finished, things get a bit more complicated.

What if no one gets 1,991 delegates?

Without a clear winner, the party would hold what’s called a contested convention. Democrats are scheduled to meet for their convention in July in Milwaukee, where one candidate will be selected to represent the party.

If the first vote is held and no candidate earns a majority of support, then a second round of voting would be held. In this second round, many delegates would be freed up to potentially change their vote.

This second round would also introduce a new factor: 771 “superdelegates.”

As opposed to regular delegates, superdelegates aren’t bound to the popular vote, and can back whichever candidate they choose. Superdelegates are generally party leaders, and are free to switch their vote at any time.

However, superdelegates cannot vote on the first ballot if no candidate has 50 per cent of the delegates. But if the voting moves on to a second round, those 771 superdelegates would join the mix and potentially have the power to sway the vote in their favour.

Is it that simple?

Not exactly -- there are a few confusing things about the process.

For example, instead of primary elections, some states have “caucuses.” A primary election is similar to a general election in that voters fill out their ballot in secret, and then those votes are tallied to determine the winner.

Caucuses are public assemblies where voters are allowed to express their support for candidates, and votes are often done by a show of hands, or by breaking into groups.

Votes in caucuses and primaries don’t always proportionately translate into delegates, either -- some states are “winner takes all.”

And the actual presidential election is…?

Not until Tuesday, November 3, 2020.