Super Tuesday: What is it, when does it take place and will it be super for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton?

It's the single most important day of the primary campaign

More than 800 delegates are up for grabs on Super Tuesday (Youtube)

SUPER TUESDAY

It’s taking place on March 1 – a Tuesday, naturally - and the presidential campaigns are sprinting towards it. A total of 14 states and territories in play, including Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma,Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming.

(Reuters)

HUGE HAUL

Usually held in February or March, Super Tuesday is when the candidates have a chance to win more delegates towards capturing their party’s nomination than on any other single day. This year, 880 delegates are up for grabs. Candidates are vying to accumulate the 2,383 delegates needed to clinch the nomination

SUPER OR SUPER-DUPER?

Some years more states join in than in others. In 2008, no fewer than 24 states opted to hold primaries or caucus voting on that day, with roughly half of all delegates up for grabs for each party. This year won’t be quite so unwieldy; fourteen states and territories are involved.

Hillary Clinton is hoping for a huge haul on Super Tuesday (AP)

A BIG DEAL?

Aside from giving everyone the chance to rack up serious delegate numbers, Super Tuesday, with so many states taking part in so many different parts of the US, is a first test of every candidate’s national appeal. We aren’t in Iowa any more, Ted.

A TRUMP ROMP?

Well, maybe. He hasn’t had the time to stage huge rallies in all the big cities that matter like he did in earlier state contests, but if you argue that a TV and media presence gets more important as the race turns national, then you also have to accept that Trump is likely to have an edge.

CLINTON PULLS AHEAD?

She probably does, but delegates are awarded proportionally, rather than on a winner-takes-all basis, and so Bernie Sanders could bag plenty of delegates also. Not only that, he thinks he has a good chance to win in a few states like Massachusetts, Colorado and Minnesota.

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