Folks in Indiana are in an unusual position.
Normally, the state seems to care little about primaries, generally having the lowest voting participation rate in the United States when it comes to presidential primaries. But come Tuesday, Indiana will be the center of the universe, at least election-wise.
It is likely that a win in the Democratic and Republican primaries there will cement the nomination for GOP front-runner Donald Trump and Democratic leader Hillary Clinton. Both Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), are holding out hope of a Hoosier State victory and the chance to fight through to their respective conventions this summer.
>>Click here to see live-updates from the Indiana primaries
The reported alliance between Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich -- which included Indiana and was meant to deny Trump the 1,237 needed to secure the Republican nomination -- doesn't seem to have had much of an effect on Indiana voters. Only 22 percent of likely Republican voters said the alliance was a major factor in their decision, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll.
Here’s a quick look at how the Indiana primaries work.
Who can vote?
Both the Indiana primaries are open primaries -- meaning any registered voter may cast a ballot in the Republican or Democratic primary, regardless of party affiliation.This may help Sanders in the state as he has done well with Independent voters in other primaries.
What time are the polling places open/closed?
Polls will open from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. ET in the eastern portion of the state. In the western portion of the state, which is in the Central Time Zone, polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT.
What do the polls say?
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is holding a slight lead over Bernie Sanders ahead of the Indiana Democratic primary, according to Real Clear Politics. Clinton is up by an average of 6.8 points.
On the Republican side, according to Real Clear Politics, a new NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll shows Trump leading Cruz by 15 percentage points in Indiana, 49 to 34 percent.
What will they win?
On the Democratic side, 92 delegates are at stake. On the Republican side, there are 57 delegates in play.
Here’s how the delegates are divided:
For Democrats, of the 92 delegates, 18 will be awarded proportionally based on the statewide vote, and 9 will be PLEO delegates, or delegates defined as “pledged party leaders and elected officials.” There are also 56 district delegates are awarded proportionally based on how many votes the candidates get within each of the state’s congressional districts, and 9 unpledged or “superdelegates” in Indiana.
>>What is a superdelegate, and what do they do?
For Republicans, of those 57 delegates, 27 are a-large, awarded to the candidate who wins more votes statewide. Twenty-seven are awarded to the person who wins in each of the state’s congressional districts. Three are “party” candidates – Republican party officials. The delegates are pledged to their candidate for only the first ballot at the GOP convention this summer.
>> How many delegates does Donald Trump have?
According to a story from Politico, more than 66,000 Indiana Republicans had returned early ballots before the pact was announced.
How many delegates do they need to win the nomination and how many delegates are left?
The number of delegates needed to win the Republican nomination is 1,237. As of Monday, there are 571 Republican delegates yet to be allotted.
A Democratic candidate needs 2,383 delegates to win the nomination. There are still 1,243 Democratic delegates to be allotted.
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