WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd March, 2020) Voters in fourteen US states and one territory will head to the polls on Tuesday for the most significant day in the Democratic presidential Primary race with one-third of the total number of delegates up for grabs.
Democratic candidates must secure a majority 1,990 "pledged" delegates overall to win on the first ballot ahead of the party's convention in July. Five states - California, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia and Massachusetts - combined make up 70 percent of the 1,344 delegates at stake on Tuesday.
The earliest poll to close is in Vermont at 7:00 p.m. EST (midnight GMT on Wednesday) and the latest closure is in California at 11 p.m. EST.
US President Donald Trump is expected to soar through the primaries to become the Republican presidential nominee.
However, the Democratic picture is still unclear, but recent developments show a potential close race between Senator Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden.
Following the early primaries in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, Sanders is in the lead with 56 delegates and Biden - after a win in South Carolina - is trailing with 50 delegates.
South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg had 48 delegates but dropped out of the presidential race over the weekend. Senator Amy Klobuchar will reportedly drop out and endorse Biden during a rally Monday night.
If Buttigieg and Klobuchar voters do back Biden, then he should come out of Super Tuesday with a pretty strong performance to reinforce his momentum after his victory in South Carolina
Trump in a tweet on Sunday forecast that Buttigieg's exit is an effort by the Democratic party to get more votes for Biden in order to take Sanders "out of play."
Senator Elizabeth Warren is in single-digit territory with eight delegates. Former New York City Mayor and billionaire businessman Mike Bloomberg will make his debut on the ballot on Tuesday.
Recent polls show Sanders with a lead in California, Texas, Virginia, and Massachusetts. Biden currently only holds a lead in North Carolina among the big five states.
After Tuesday, the remaining key primary dates include March 10, March 17 and April 28. Important states that will be left to win include New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Arizona. The final primary is on June 6 - the US Virgin Islands.
If no candidate can secure a majority of the delegates, the decision must come through what is called a "brokered" convention when some 775 "unpledged" so-called superdelegates weigh in to choose a party nominee.
The Democratic presidential convention will be held on July 13-16 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
