The biggest day in presidential primary voting has arrived, and Super Tuesday could indeed be super for frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
Both Trump and Clinton have impressive leads in most Super Tuesday states, but some of the biggest prizes – like Texas – may turn into a battle before it’s over.
Here's a look at some of the factors that can make or break a candidate today. (Scroll down to see a graphic explainer of Super Tuesday.)
The candidates
Though many may be on the ballot, the ones you’ll be talking about on Wednesday are: Republicans – Donald Trump, Sen. Marco Rubio, (Fla.), Sen. Ted Cruz, (Texas), Ben Carson and Gov. John Kasich (Ohio); Democrats – Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
The states in play today
Republicans and Democrats are holding primaries in these states Tuesday: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia.
Republicans are holding caucuses in Colorado, Minnesota, Alaska and Wyoming. Democrats are holding caucuses in Colorado, Minnesota and American Samoa.
The delegate count
Here’s a look at what’s at stake on Tuesday.
Alabama
Republican delegates: 50
Democratic delegates: 53
Alaska
Republican delegates: 28
Colorado
Republicans: Republicans will caucus today, but assign delegates at a later date
Democratic delegates: 66
Georgia
Republican delegates: 76
Democratic delegates: 102
Massachusetts
Republican delegates: 42
Democratic delegates: 91
Minnesota
Republican delegates: 38
Democratic delegates: 77
Oklahoma
Republican delegates: 43
Democratic delegates: 38
Tennessee
Republican delegates: 58
Democratic delegates: 67
Texas
Republican delegates: 155
Democratic delegates: 222
Vermont
Republican delegates: 16
Democratic delegates: 16
Virginia
Republican delegates: 49
Democratic delegates: 95
The polls
According to a CNN/ORC poll released Monday, Donald Trump has 49 percent support among Republicans and Republican-leaning voters. In the CNN/ORC poll released Monday, 51 percent thought Trump would be most effective at solving the country's problems.
Following Trump in the polling is:
• Marco Rubio: 16 percent
• Ted Cruz: 15 percent
• Ben Carson: 10 percent
• John Kasich: 6 percent
In the latest polls from RealClear Politics, Trump leads in nearly every Super Tuesday state with the exception of the state with the largest haul of delegates – Texas. Ted Cruz leads in his home state of Texas and in Arkansas. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is ahead in Minnesota.
On the Democratic side, Clinton holds a 17-point lead over Sanders nationally, and is leading in every Super Tuesday state but Vermont. Vermont is Sanders’ home state.
The weather
There is a severe weather threat in eastern parts of Oklahoma and Texas, Arkansas, western Tennessee and northwestern Alabama, according to Accuweather. Click here for a detailed look at Super Tuesday weather.
What time we will know
Polls will close at 7 p.m. (ET) in Georgia, Virginia and Vermont; at 8 p.m. (ET) in Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Massachusetts; at 8:30 p.m. (ET) in Arkansas; at 9 p.m. (ET) in Texas, Minnesota and Colorado, and at midnight in Alaska.
Early votes must be in by the time polls close on election night in most states. Those votes will be counted early in the process, and, by all accounts, they represent a large number of votes.
What if
Trump wins big – Should Trump win the states he is ahead in, he could rack up a delegate lead that would be virtually impossible to overcome. The only state in question, according to the polls, is Texas. But that's a big one – 155 delegates.
Clinton wins big – There are hundreds of delegates up for grabs on the Democrat side Tuesday. In the pledged delegate count, Clinton is only slightly ahead of Sanders 91 to 65, but factor in superdelegates – delegates not bound to vote for the candidate who wins the popular vote in the state they represent – and Clinton has 475 delegates. If her win in South Carolina is any indication, she could have a very strong showing in the South with the backing of African American voters.
Who is left
After the dust settles on Tuesday, there’s a chance you’ll see someone drop out. Marco Rubio and John Kasich have vowed to stay in until the March 15 primaries in their home states – Florida and Ohio, respectively.
It's not likely that Sanders will leave as he continues to raise money – around $40 million in February alone – and says he believes he will win California.
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