WASHINGTON (Reuters) – On Super Tuesday, 14 states, one U.S. territory and Democrats living abroad will vote in contests to pick the party’s challenger to President Donald Trump in November.
“I Voted” stickers in various languages are seen in a basket at an early voting site at The California Museum in Sacramento, California, U.S., March 2, 2020. REUTERS/Gabriela Bhaskar
Here is a quick look at what is happening on the ground.
CALIFORNIA
Delegate count: 415
The polls close at 11 p.m. EST (0400 GMT Wednesday).
California will be one of the most closely watched states on Tuesday. Senator Bernie Sanders will look to drive up big margins and amass an unsurmountable lead in delegates. Vice President Joe Biden will try to remain close enough to prevent a blowout.
TEXAS
Delegate count: 228
The polls close at 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT Wednesday).
Biden is banking on a late surge in Texas, where his campaign has invested most heavily for Super Tuesday. The state’s more moderate electorate could boost Biden, although fellow moderate Mike Bloomberg has tried to cut into his advantage there.
NORTH CAROLINA
Delegate count: 110
The polls close at 7:30 p.m. EST (0030 GMT Wednesday).
Biden’s big win in South Carolina was fueled by his overwhelming advantage among black voters. He is hoping to continue to ride support from minority voters to a victory in this delegate-rich neighboring state.
VIRGINIA
Delegate count: 99
The polls close at 7 p.m. EST (0000 GMT).
Virginia has been trending more liberal in recent elections. Bloomberg has invested heavily there, flooding television with advertisements. Biden will look to win the state’s still-sizable moderate bloc, while Sanders will hope to perform well in the more liberal northern part of the state.
MASSACHUSETTS
Delegate count: 91
The polls close at 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT Wednesday).
Elizabeth Warren was once thought to be the favorite in the state she represents in the U.S. Senate. But recent polling shows Sanders statistically tied with her. If Warren cannot win her own state, it could prove to be a death blow to her struggling campaign.
MINNESOTA
Delegate count: 75
The polls close at 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT Wednesday).
Senator Amy Klobuchar had been favored to win her home state of Minnesota. But on Monday, she ended her campaign and threw her support behind Biden, who will now hope to turn the moderate Midwestern state into his win column.
COLORADO
Delegate count: 67
The polls close at 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT).
The only two opinion polls conducted in the western state have shown Sanders in the lead. Securing the largest chunk of Colorado’s delegates could fuel Sanders’ Super Tuesday advantage.
TENNESSEE
Delegate count: 64
The polls close at 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT Wednesday).
With no opinion polls assessing the Democratic primary in Tennessee, campaigns are banking on trying to capture a surprise win there. Bloomberg has invested heavily in time and resources, while Biden again will hope his black support carries him.
ALABAMA
Delegate count: 52
The polls close at 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT Wednesday).
Biden is the favorite in Alabama, even with no recent opinion polls measuring the deep South state’s contest. His advantage among black voters, who make up much of the state’s Democratic electorate, could propel him to a win there.
OKLAHOMA
Delegate count: 37
The polls close at 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT Wednesday).
Oklahoma is the birthplace of one candidate, Warren, but the traditionally conservative state is seen as more likely to favor a moderate, like Biden or Bloomberg.
ARKANSAS
Delegate count: 31
The polls close at 8:30 p.m. EST (0130 GMT Wednesday).
Bloomberg made one of his first campaign appearances in Arkansas and has picked up endorsements from elected officials there. But with no opinion polling, the state remains a Super Tuesday mystery and a place Biden will be hoping to pick up delegates.
UTAH
Delegate count: 29
The polls close at 10 p.m. EST (0300 GMT Wednesday).
The western state has traditionally been conservative, but liberal pockets in places like Salt Lake City and Park City could prove beneficial to Sanders. Two opinion polls conducted earlier this year found him with a lead.
MAINE
Delegate count: 24
The polls close at 8 p.m. EST (0100 GMT Wednesday).
Sanders, who is well known to Maine voters as a senator for nearby Vermont, is the favorite on Tuesday.
VERMONT
Delegate count: 16
The polls close at 7 p.m. EST (0000 GMT).
Sanders has been elected by the voters of Vermont to represent them in Congress for decades, and he is expected to win the state overwhelmingly on Super Tuesday.
DEMOCRATS ABROAD
Delegate count: 13
This new contest allows Democrats living abroad, many of them who relocated permanently or work for the State Department, to have a voice in the nominating contest.
AMERICAN SAMOA
Delegate count: 6
The U.S. Pacific Ocean territory holds a single caucus to allocate its six delegates.
Reporting by Ginger Gibson; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Peter Cooney