Which states vote on Super Tuesday and why are they important?
Thirteen states plus an American territory vote on Tuesday, March 1 -- otherwise known as "Super Tuesday," the campaign season's biggest day on the primary calendar.
Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming and American Samoa are all opening their voting booths Tuesday. Polls close in most states at 7 p.m. or 9 p.m. ET. You can view the specific times in CBS News' comprehensive Super Tuesday guide.
Republicans and Democrats both hold primaries in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia. Both parties hold caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota as well. Republicans will also be caucusing in Alaska and Wyoming, while Democrats will also hold caucuses in American Samoa.
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Super Tuesday presents candidates with a huge opportunity to rack up delegates in the primary election. This year it's especially important to the dynamics of the Republican and Democratic races because of the so-called "SEC Primary," which refers to the Super Tuesday states that are in the South. These states are where both Ted Cruz on the GOP side and Hillary Clinton on the Democratic side intend to accumulate a "firewall" of delegates: Cruz because he's courting conservative evangelicals concentrated in the south, and Clinton because she's banking on minority voters.