Super Tuesday: everything you need to know as 16 states vote

Voters in 16 US states and one US territory will head to the polls on Tuesday to cast ballots in presidential primaries, as the country once again observes the quadrennial tradition of “Super Tuesday”.

In past election cycles, Super Tuesday has provided a clear indication of which candidates will win their parties’ presidential nominations. In 2020, for example, Joe Biden brought Bernie Sanders’ march to the Democratic nomination to a crashing halt after he won 10 of the Super Tuesday states. Biden went on to become the Democratic nominee and later won the general election against Donald Trump.

But this year, Super Tuesday carries far less suspense. Both parties already have a clear sense of who their nominees will be, as Biden and Trump have cruised through the early voting states. Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley remains in the race against Trump, but expectations for her campaign are low, as she has only managed to win one primary so far.

Despite the anticlimactic nature of this year’s primaries, Super Tuesday could still provide key clues about where each party stands heading into the general election in November. Here’s everything you need to know about Super Tuesday:

Voters in 15 states – Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia – will cast their ballots in the Republican presidential primary on Tuesday. All those states except Alaska will hold their Democratic primary contests on Tuesday as well.

The US territory of American Samoa will simultaneously hold its Democratic caucus, and Tuesday also marks the last day for Iowa Democrats to mail in their primary ballots. (Republicans held their Iowa