US election 2016: What is Super Tuesday?
- Published
It's called Super Tuesday and it's a big day for US politics.
12 states in America make decisions on who they'll back to become their candidate for the next US president.
There are some big names involved and it's a tight race for both the two main parties; Republicans and Democrats.
Once all the states have voted, each party will have a single candidate who will then have the chance to campaign to take over from Barack Obama next January.
What is Super Tuesday?
Katty Kay explains the long and complex process for picking a presidential nominee
It's the day when the most amount of primaries happen and can go a long way to keeping you in or knocking you out of the race to become president.
Primaries stand for primary elections and allow people to vote on which candidate they think should be on the ballot paper (for their party) in the US election in November.
Some states have a caucus instead - that's when party members decide on the best candidate in meetings.
The 12 states involved are Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Virginia.
Most American elections take place on Tuesdays, while in the UK they tend to be on Thursdays.
Why is it so important?
There are just two major parties in American politics, the Republicans and the Democrats.
On Super Tuesday the Republican candidates have the opportunity to win about half of the delegates needed to claim the nomination.
On the Democratic side, they can win roughly a third of the votes needed for the nomination.
And votes = delegates.
'The Donald' as he's become known has made some people pull some incredible faces
How long does it last?
The time people can vote is much shorter than here in the UK.
It's just a day but polls normally close at 7 or 8pm.
Most of the results will come in on Wednesday.
Who's taking part again?
Brits v Americans quizzed on US election terms
On the Republican side, the five remaining candidates participating in Super Tuesday are businessman Donald Trump, Florida senator Marco Rubio, Texas senator Ted Cruz, Ohio governor John Kasich and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.
On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will face off against Vermont senator, 74-year-old Bernie Sanders.
Mrs Clinton hopes to become the first female president of the United States.
Bernie Sanders has the support of many people in their 20s., external
Which candidates does Super Tuesday favour?
Many southern states are involved in Super Tuesday.
Texas senator Ted Cruz won the first vote in the state of Iowa.
He famously once made a 21-hour speech against healthcare changes and made a video showing how to cook bacon with a machine gun, external.
He's hoping to win the support of conservatives and evangelicals and many live in the south.
For the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton, who is also a former First Lady, could get a high number of delegates in the southern states.
She has strong support among black Americans.
Hillary Clinton is on her second attempt to get the top job
How are Super Tuesday delegates awarded?
It's different for Republicans and Democrats.
Republicans award all their state delegates based on the overall state vote or based on who wins in each voting district.
Democrats award all of their delegates proportionally, so based on their share of the vote.
Some people make Super Tuesday T-shirts because they are so excited., external
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