What You Should Know About Acela Tuesday

On April 26, the final big primary Tuesday will be taking place. On "Acela Tuesday," voters will head out to the polls in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. There is a large pool of delegates up for grabs in each party, with 118 for the GOP and 384 for the Democrats, and this could be an important and decisive day for candidates on both sides. As the event fast approaches, you might be wondering: What does the term "Acela Tuesday" mean?

The meaning of Acela Tuesday is pretty straightforward. The primary, which consists of five northeastern states, is named after the Acela Express Amtrak line — a railway that spans the region. The train line offers service to Boston, New Haven, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC. Because of the cluster of states that will be voting, "Acela Tuesday" is just an easy way of putting it. There is, however, the matter of what Acela Tuesday means for the presidential candidates and primary race as a whole.

Tuesday's primary is important because it could be a decisive day for the presidential candidates on both sides. With 118 delegates available for the GOP, Acela Tuesday could give frontrunner Donald Trump the boost he needs to move even further ahead of his opponents. However, this will not happen without a fight from Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who are reportedly joining forces against Trump. On Sunday night, both Cruz and Kasich released statements that they are going to essentially divide and conquer the remaining states to keep them away from Trump. Trump was not happy with the announcement, as you can imagine.

On the other hand, former Sec. of State and Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton is trudging along in these states, where she is expected to come out on top. Wins on Tuesday could put her far enough in the lead that she could secure the party's nomination ahead of the July convention. A recent survey shows Clinton with a lead of 55 percent to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' 40 percent, a big enough margin that will be hard to close. But Sanders isn't giving up. Ahead of Acela Tuesday, the Vermont politician made campaign stops in Baltimore, as well as Reading, Pennsylvania.

All aboard the Acela Express. The primaries aren't stopping or slowing for any candidates.