When Is Super Tuesday and What to Know

Super Tuesday, traditionally one of the most important dates on the U.S. political calendar, is fast approaching: 15 states and one territory will vote on March 5.

Share full articleShare free access

Voting in Delhi, Calif., on Super Tuesday in 2020. The modern usage of “Super Tuesday” dates to the 1980s, when states moved their primaries earlier on the calendar to try to increase their influence.

Super Tuesday, traditionally one of the most important dates on the U.S. political calendar, is fast approaching — though we can’t blame you if it feels a little anticlimactic this year, with both President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump doing their best to skip ahead to the general election.

Here’s what you need to know.

What is Super Tuesday?

It is the day in the presidential primary cycle when the most states vote. The exact number varies by year, but it is common for a third of all delegates to the Republican or Democratic conventions to be awarded on Super Tuesday.

This year, it will account for 874 of 2,429 Republican delegates, or 36 percent. By the time Super Tuesday is over, 1,151 of the total will have been allocated this primary season. The New York Times is tracking the Republican delegate count here.

When is Super Tuesday?

This year, it is Tuesday, March 5.

Super Tuesday is occasionally in February but usually in March. Because it is one of the first primary days after those in the designated early-voting states, such as Iowa and New Hampshire, its timing depends on the timing of those states.

Which states will be voting?

This year, 15 states will vote on Super Tuesday: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia. One territory, American Samoa, will also vote.

We will also learn the results of the Democratic contest in Iowa, which is being held by mail over several weeks. (Iowa Republicans held their caucuses in mid-January.)

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.