Super Tuesday facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Super Tuesday
Republican and Democratic party ballots in a Massachusetts polling location, 2016
Nickname	Primary Day
Status	Active
Date(s)	Varies
Frequency	Every four years
Country	United States
Inaugurated	c.1984 (1984)
Previous event	2024 Presidential primaries
Next event	2028 Presidential primaries
Participants	Presumptive Democratic and Republican presidential nominees
Activity	Voting
2024 Democratic and Republican Presidential primary

Sign for a polling station in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese in Houston, Texas, 2016

Super Tuesday is a special day during the U.S. presidential primary elections. It usually happens in February or March. On this day, the largest number of U.S. states hold their primary elections and caucuses.

These elections are important because about one-third of all the delegates needed to choose a presidential candidate are decided on Super Tuesday. Delegates are like representatives who vote for a candidate at a big meeting called a presidential nominating convention. Because so many delegates are chosen, the results on Super Tuesday often show who will likely become the presidential candidate for each political party.

The states that participate in Super Tuesday can change each time. This is because each state decides its own election day. The name Super Tuesday has been used since at least 1976. It's an unofficial term used by news reporters and political experts.

How U.S. Elections Work

In the United States, two main political parties are very important: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. These parties choose their presidential candidates at special meetings called nominating conventions. Delegates from each state attend these conventions.

Each state has its own rules for how these delegates are chosen. This can be done through a primary election or a caucus. A primary election is like a regular election where people vote at polling places. A caucus is a meeting where people discuss and then choose their preferred candidate. State governments or state party groups decide when these elections or caucuses will happen.

After a big meeting in 1968, states wanted to have more say in choosing presidential candidates. One way they tried to do this was by grouping their elections together. This encouraged candidates to spend more time campaigning in certain regions.

Super Tuesday's History

The idea of Super Tuesday came from suggestions to make the primary election system better. Some people wanted a single national primary or regional primaries, where states in the same area would vote on the same day.

1984: The Start of Super Tuesday

In 1984, there were actually three "Super Tuesdays." On the last one, delegates from five states were chosen. Walter Mondale was likely to get enough delegates to win the Democratic nomination that year.

One candidate, Gary Hart, made a mistake while campaigning. He said something that sounded like he didn't like New Jersey. Even though he was ahead in polls there, he lost New Jersey. Mondale ended up winning the Democratic nomination. For the Republicans, Ronald Reagan was already the president and easily won his party's nomination.

1988: The Southern States Vote

In the 1970s, southern states wanted to have more influence in presidential elections. They thought that if they held their primary elections all at once, a conservative candidate from the South might get a good head start.

Several southern states decided to hold their presidential primaries on the second Tuesday of March. This became a big Super Tuesday. Many delegates from both the Democratic and Republican parties were chosen on this day.

Some southern politicians hoped a southern candidate would win the Democratic nomination. However, candidates like Michael Dukakis, Dick Gephardt, Al Gore, and Jesse Jackson campaigned in these states. Jackson won the most southern delegates, followed by Gore. Dukakis won Florida and Texas.

For the Republicans, George H. W. Bush won almost all the states on Super Tuesday. This nearly guaranteed him the Republican nomination.

Candidates spent a lot of money campaigning in these states. Jesse Jackson pointed out how expensive it was to advertise in all the states.

1992: Bill Clinton's Big Wins

In 1992, after losing some earlier elections, Democrat Bill Clinton won many southern primaries on Super Tuesday. These wins helped him get the Democratic presidential nomination, and he later became president. The sitting president, George H. W. Bush, also faced some competition in the Republican primaries that year.

1996: Bob Dole's Sweep

In 1996, Super Tuesday was on March 12. Bob Dole won all the Super Tuesday states, which helped him secure the Republican presidential nomination. Bill Clinton, who was already president, easily won all the delegates in the Democratic primaries.

2000: A Record Number of States

In 2000, Super Tuesday was on March 7. Sixteen states held primaries, which was the largest number of states for a primary election day up to that point. This day helped Al Gore for the Democrats and George W. Bush for the Republicans secure their nominations. Both went on to become their parties' presidential candidates.

2004: Mini-Tuesday and Super Tuesday II

Seven states held caucuses or primary elections on Mini-Tuesday in 2004. Blue shows Democratic-only contests (4) and Purple shows states that held elections for both parties (3).

The states participating in primaries or caucuses on March 2, 2004

In 2004, some states moved their primary elections earlier to February 3. This day was called Mini-Tuesday or Super Tuesday I. The traditional Super Tuesday date, March 2, was then called Super Tuesday II. The results of Mini-Tuesday were very important for the Democratic primaries. The Republican primaries were not contested because President George W. Bush was running for re-election and was the only candidate.

2008: Giga Tuesday

Twenty-four states held caucuses or primary elections on Super Tuesday, 2008. Blue shows Democratic-only contests (3), Red shows Republican-only contests (2), and Purple shows states holding elections for both parties (19).

To make their votes more important, 24 states changed their primary dates to February 5, 2008. This created the biggest "Super Tuesday" ever. News reporters called it names like "Giga Tuesday" or "Tsunami Tuesday" because it was so large.

Only four states held elections on another Super Tuesday on March 4, 2008, which made it seem less "super."

2012: Romney's Lead

Super Tuesday states in 2012

Super Tuesday in 2012 was on March 6. Ten states held Republican primaries, where 419 delegates were chosen. The Democratic primaries were mostly not contested because President Barack Obama was running for re-election and was expected to be the nominee.

The impact of Super Tuesday was a bit less because Mitt Romney had already won many elections before it. Romney was able to increase his lead significantly, winning in six states and getting more than half of the available delegates. Other candidates like Rick Santorum also won some states, which allowed them to continue their campaigns for a while longer.

2016: Two Super Tuesdays

Super Tuesday by states and territories, 2016

Super Tuesday 2016 (Republican Party, results)

Super Tuesday 2016 (Democratic Party, results)

Super Tuesday in the 2016 election happened on March 1, 2016. It was sometimes called the SEC Primary because many of the states involved were in the Southeastern Conference for college sports.

Many states participated, including Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia. Republicans also had caucuses in Alaska, North Dakota, and Wyoming.

For the Democrats, Hillary Clinton won seven states, and Bernie Sanders won four. For the Republicans, Donald Trump won seven states, Ted Cruz won three, and Marco Rubio won one.

Super Tuesday II in 2016

Super Tuesday II Democratic results

Super Tuesday II Republican results

March 15, 2016, was called Super Tuesday II, or Mega Tuesday. Five states held both Democratic and Republican primaries: Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Missouri. These Republican races were very important because they were the first to use a "winner-takes-all" system, meaning the candidate who won the state got all of its delegates.

2020: Biden and Sanders Wins

Super Tuesday by states and territories, 2020

Super Tuesday in 2020 was on March 3. Many states held their presidential primaries on this date, including California and Texas, which are the two most populated states. This meant a lot of delegates were available.

Joe Biden won 10 states, and Bernie Sanders won 4 states, including California and his home state of Vermont. Michael Bloomberg won American Samoa.

In the Republican primaries, the sitting president, Donald Trump, won against his challenger, Bill Weld. In some states, Trump was the only candidate on the ballot.

2024: Recent Super Tuesday

2024 Super Tuesday maps, the map includes Democratic and Republican primaries and caucuses (except American Samoa). (Taken from CBS News)

Super Tuesday in 2024 took place on March 5. Many Republican and Democratic delegates were chosen on this day.

For the Republicans, Donald Trump won most of the states. For the Democrats, Joe Biden won most of the states.

See also

In Spanish: Supermartes para niños

• List of Democratic Party presidential primaries
• List of Republican Party presidential primaries