Candidates mine a mother lode of delegates
— -- There has never been a primary election day like it. After leapfrogging to get earlier on the schedule, 16 states across the country hold primaries Tuesday, and six others hold caucuses; two have party conventions. In all, more than 1,600 Democratic convention delegates and almost 950 Republican delegates will be allocated in what is nearly a national primary.
Will decisive victories propel contenders toward the nominations? Or will divided results delay a showdown to the states that follow? USA TODAY surveys the landscape in four key states — the heavyweights on the East and West coasts, the biggest Southern prize and a bellwether state in the Midwest — and, briefly, looks at all of the others.
How delegates are chosen
Democrats require states to apportion pledged convention delegates among all contenders who draw at least 15% support in a primary or caucuses. That can make a second-place finish in congressional districts and states almost as rewarding as a victory.
The GOP leaves that decision to state party organizations. Most divide delegates to the Republican National Convention, being held Sept. 1-4 in St. Paul, among candidates with significant support. But some of Super Tuesday's biggest prizes — including New York, New Jersey, Missouri and Arizona — are winner-take-all.
Democrats designate some elected and party officials in each state as "super delegates" to their national convention, set for Aug. 25-28 in Denver. While their support is courted by the candidates, they aren't officially bound to anyone.
FOUR KEY STATES AND THE OTHERS IN TUESDAY'S FRENZY
California
•Polls close:8 p.m. PT/11 p.m. ET
•Democratic delegates:370 allocated out of 441
•Republican delegates:170 allocated out of 173
A generation ago, California's June primary mattered. Barry Goldwater beat Nelson Rockefeller here in 1964, and Robert Kennedy defeated Eugene McCarthy in 1968 only to be assassinated that night. In recent contests, Californians have been more important for their campaign donations than the votes they cast in their primary. Not this time: In 2008, the Golden State is the 800-pound gorilla on the season's biggest primary night. Most of the delegates in both parties will be allocated based on results in each of the state's 53 congressional districts, so every candidate is likely to compete somewhere. Among Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton is targeting Hispanics in Southern California, Barack Obama liberals in the San Francisco Bay Area. Republicans John McCain and Mitt Romney are focusing on California, too. McCain's appeal to independents won't help him; only Republicans can vote in the GOP primary.
•Candidates on the campaign trail, 4A
Missouri
•Polls close:7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET
•Democratic delegates:72 allocated out of 88
•Republican delegates:58 allocated out of 58
Missouri is the nation's leading bellwether state in presidential contests, voting for the winner in every general election since 1956. But the Show Me State's primary hasn't had much impact in past campaigns. This time, it may. The Republican contest is a rich, winner-take-all prize. John McCain is targeting the independent-minded suburbanites in St. Louis and Kansas City; Mike Huckabee conservative Christians in the Ozarks, which straddle the Missouri-Arkansas border. Mitt Romney has been running a close third. Among Democrats, a RealClearPolitics.com average of three recent statewide polls shows Hillary Rodham Clinton has lost her double-digit lead over Barack Obama.
Georgia
•Polls close:7 p.m. ET
•Democratic delegates:87 allocated out of 103
•Republican delegates:72 allocated out of 72
Georgia is the largest Southern state voting on Super Tuesday and a prime target, especially for Republican Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas. The high proportion of African-Americans — nearly half of the Democratic primary vote in 2004, according to surveys of voters as they left polling places — makes this a strong prospect for Democrat Barack Obama, too. In 1992, the Peach State boosted former Arkansas governor Bill Clinton by giving him a win on a day he lost in Maryland and Colorado. But regional loyalty alone isn't enough: The failure of John Edwards of North Carolina to win here in 2004 over John Kerry of Massachusetts was a final blow to Edwards' presidential hopes four years ago.
New York
•Polls close:9 p.m. ET
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