Delegate-rich states throughout the country will head to the polls on Tuesday for the next "Super Tuesday" of the year, and their decisions may finalize the nominations from both parties.
Donald Trump already leads the Republican field in delegates at 460. If he wins the huge winner-take-all states that he is expected to, such as Florida with its 99 delegates, he could make it mathematically impossible for any other candidates to reach the magic number of 1,237 delegates.
It is improbable that any of the other candidates, especially Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, could reach that number even if Trump were to fall in some of the March states. Their best hope is no one in the field reaching the necessary number of delegates, triggering a brokered convention. In this situation, delegates would battle it out on the floor of the Republican Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, this summer.
Democrats could see a similar result if Tuesday's races go as expected. Despite a close upset loss in Michigan to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton still has a major lead in pledged delegates and the total delegate count. Solid finishes in states like North Carolina and Florida would go a long way in putting the necessary number of delegates — 2,383 — out of Sanders' reach.
Sanders' best hope is to again upset Clinton in the Rust Belt, particularly in Ohio and Illinois.