The What, Who and Where of Super Tuesday

Millions+of+Americans+have+the+opportunity+to+vote+for+the+Democratic+candidate+of+their+choice+on+Super+Tuesday%2C+with+states+ranging+from+Alabama+to+California+hosting+primaries.+

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Millions of Americans have the opportunity to vote for the Democratic candidate of their choice on Super Tuesday, with states ranging from Alabama to California hosting primaries.

Zack Stone, Staff Writer

One of the most important dates of the primary election season has arrived: Super Tuesday.

Super Tuesday is essentially an agreement among states to increase their voting power by holding primary elections on the same day. NPR illustrates the significance of this event by explaining that nearly a third, 33%, of all delegates have the chance to be won today. In contrast, just 4% of delegates have been won in all the previous primaries and caucuses combined.

However, the voting taking place today will look quite different than the states that have chosen their delegates thus far. Up until the recent South Carolina primary, the Democratic moderates seemed to be tightly contested, with Buttigieg finding success in Iowa while Klobachar’s pushed forward in New Hampshire. However, with both dropping out of the race this week and endorsing fellow moderate Joe Biden, the field is taking on a whole new look.

Despite Steyer, Buttigieg and Klobuchar all having recently stepped aside, the Democratic candidate is anything but decided. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is widely regarded as Democrat frontrunner but faces competition from similarly progressive Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. Moderate Joe Biden is coming off a win in South Carolina and also is aided by the recent endorsements from not only the recent dropouts but also former candidate Congressman Beto O’Rourke. Meanwhile, self-funded billionaire and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has shown his money-heavy campaign has made progress after climbing seriously in the polls. However, he has still failed to gain a single delegate prior to the night of Super Tuesday.

With a previously crowded, confusing field recently diminishing to a more narrow, cut-down group, even the polls are unsure who will come out as the biggest winner in the night’s all-important event. One thing is certain though, and almost everyone agrees that Super Tuesday should bring far greater clarity as to who the Democratic National Convention will nominate for president this summer.

The regions voting on Tue, Mar. 2 are as follows: Alabama, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont and Virginia. They will combine for a total of 1,357 delegates.