How Super Tuesday signals the start of the 2024 presidential primary calendar

UNOFFICIAL START TO THE GENERATIONAL — GENERAL VOTE. >> Reporter: IT IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST ELECTION DAY ON THE PRIMARY CALENDAR. SUPER TUESDAY. MORE THAN 134 MILLION PEOPLE, NEARLY HALF THE COUNTRY. IT CAN BE THE CLIMAX OF THE SEASON WHEN THE COMPETITION THINS OUT, LIKE IN 2020 WHEN MORE MODERATES BACKED OUT AND JOINED JOE BIDEN, LAUNCHING HIM TO THE NOMINATION. THE DRAMA, LESS INTENSE THIS TIME. HE HAS NO SERIOUS CHALLENGER, AND THERE ARE JUST TWO LEFT ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE. DONALD TRUMP AND NIKKI HALEY. >> WE WILL KEEP GOING THROUGH SUPER TUESDAY. >> Reporter: THAT PROMISE,

COMING JUST HOURS AFTER SHE LOST HER HOME STATE OF SOUTH KARELINA. SHE’S LOST SEVEN STATES THAT HAVE VOTED SO FAR. HER ONLY WIN, WASHINGTON, D.C. JUST 2000 PEOPLE VOTED. HALEY WITH OUR RISTEN WALKER ABOUT HER EXPECTATIONS FOR TUESDAY. >> THAT HAS BEEN THE CASE IN EVERY STEP. CAN WE CONTINUE TO STAY COMPETITIVE? WHEN 70% OF AMERICANS SAY THEY DON’T WANT DONALD TRUMP OR JOE BIDEN, YOU KEEP GOING SO PEOPLE HAVE A CHOICE. >> Reporter: DONALD TRUMP IS 247 AND NIKKI HALEY, 43. SOME STATES, JUST GETTING SOME VOTES WON’T HELP HER MUCH. FIVE OF THESE STATES

AWARD CANDIDATES ALL OF THEIR DELEGATE FOR THOSE WHO WIN AT LEAST 50% OF THE VOTE, LIKE MR. TRUMP HAS DONE IN EVERY STATE SO FAR. TYPICALLY,

IT WON’T BE OVER AFTER TOMORROW NIGHT. EVEN IF HE HAS A GANG BUSTER EVENING, HE STILL CAN’T HIT THE NUMBER THAT WILL CLINCH THE NOMINATION. 1215. THAT COULD COME AS EARLY AS NEXT WEEK. PLUS, SHE IS TRYING TO STAY AT LEAST THROUGH TOMORROW NIGHT. YOU WILL SEE RIGHT ALONG WITH US TOMORROW NIGHT ON OUR SPECIAL SUPER TUESDAY COVERAGE RIGHT HERE ON NBC NEWS NOW. I’M JOINED BY MY FRIEND AND

COLLEAGUE TOM LLAMAS. WE ARE ON UNTIL 10:00, THEN IT