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Super Tuesday is a day in early February or March when numerous states hold primary elections, conventions, or caucuses simultaneously, potentially determining which candidate will be nominated to run for president. It is important in American politics due to the large number of delegates at stake and the diverse states involved. Candidates must mount successful campaigns simultaneously in different places, while voters can gain insight into the fates of candidates. The term was coined in 1984 and became popular in 1988 when Southern states attempted to vote as a block.
In the United States, “Super Tuesday” is a Tuesday in early February or March of the presidential election year. On Super Tuesday, numerous states hold primary elections, conventions, or caucuses simultaneously. Super Tuesday voting results can have a large influence on the course of an election, as they allocate large numbers of delegates to national conventions of Democrats and Republicans, potentially determining which candidate will be nominated to run for president as a representative of which political party.
Primary elections are held to give voters input into who they think should be nominated for president. There are several styles of primary elections in the United States, which can make primary voting confusing and complicated for citizens, but essentially people choose candidates they think are right for office, and these votes are in turn used to nominate delegates to state and national conventions.
Individual state votes for various candidates are tallied and delegates are awarded to each candidate depending on the system used by the state. For example, in a state with 100 Republican delegates, a candidate who received 40% of the Republican vote could win 40 delegates at the national convention. The candidate with the most delegates to the national convention shall be nominated for the office of President.
Super Tuesday is important in American politics for several reasons. For one thing, there are many delegates at stake. For another, the Super Tuesday primaries take place in incredibly diverse states, potentially serving as a litmus test for a candidate to determine whether he or she would be able to take the general election. For candidates who are struggling, Super Tuesday can be the tipping or breaking point, propelling the candidate in popularity or making it unviable.
The term was coined in 1984 and became popular in 1988 when Southern states attempted to vote as a block so they could more persuasively influence American politics. The largest Super Tuesday in history since 2008 was scheduled for February 5, 2008, in which 24 states held primaries, caucuses or conventions; reporters dubbed it “Tsunami Tuesday” in reference to the size.
For applicants, Super Tuesday can be very stressful. It requires them to mount successful campaigns simultaneously in very different places. Some candidates focus on several states on Super Tuesday rather than trying to gather all the delegates from all the states holding primaries; states with large populations tend to be heavily courted in the weeks leading up to Super Tuesday, as they have many delegates.
For voters, Super Tuesday can be interesting because it can provide a glimpse into the fates of candidates. Voters who support fringe candidates may be motivated to campaign hard in the run-up to Super Tuesday, in hopes of generating a surge of public support.
