Tomorrow is the third major Tuesday of primary election season, and five states will vote in the first "winner-take-all" elections of the year. There are 358 Republican delegates and 780 Democratic delegates at stake.
Who is voting?
Both Democrats and Republicans in Missouri, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, and North Carolina vote in tomorrow's primaries. Florida's primary is closed (meaning only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican primary and vice-versa), North Carolina and Ohio are semi-closed (meaning only registered Republicans and independents can vote in the Republican primary), and Missouri and Illinois have open primaries.
What time do polls close?
Polls close at 7:00 p.m. local time in Missouri, Illinois, and Florida. Polls close at 7:30 local time in North Carolina and Ohio.
How many delegates does each state have?
Florida: 99 Republican delegates, 246 Democratic delegates. Winner takes them all.
Illinois: 69 Republican delegates, 182 Democratic delegates. Winner takes them all.
Missouri: 52 Republican delegates, 71 Democratic delegates. Winner takes them all.
North Carolina: 72 Republican delegates, 122 Democratic delegates. Divided proportionally.
Ohio: 66 Republican delegates, 159 Democratic delegates. Winner takes them all.
What does this mean for each candidate?
To be blunt, Rubio has to win Florida or he's done. Period. Kasich has to win Ohio, where he's currently the governor, if he wants to a) stay relevant and b) defeat the Trump train. Polls in Ohio have been all over the place, and Trump has a lead in Florida. It should be noted, however, that polls aren't infallible. (Just ask Minnesota and Michigan.)
On the Democrat side, the strategy is pretty simple: win the elections. Clinton has been on an absolute crusade through the south, but Sanders' shock victory in Michigan should be causing her to feel a little bit uneasy.
