Democratic primaries Tuesday in Michigan, 5 other states: Everything you need to know

Image:
Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders at a Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News in Miami on June 27, 2019. Copyright Brynn Anderson AP file
Copyright Brynn Anderson AP file
By Dareh Gregorian with NBC News Politics
Share this articleComments
Share this articleClose Button

It's not as super as Super Tuesday, but 352 delegates are up for grabs as Biden and Sanders do battle.

ADVERTISEMENT

Voters in six states will get to weigh in on the Democratic presidential primary campaign Tuesday for the first time since Joe Biden's Super Tuesday surge last week gave him a delegate lead over Bernie Sanders.

The contests are also the first since Sen.Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and billionaire Mike Bloombergdropped out of the race.

Here's a look at what you need to know about Tuesday's primaries.

Which states are voting?

There are primaries in Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri and Washington and caucuses in North Dakota.

When will we know the results?

Results in most of the states should be known within hours of the polls closing. The polls close at 8 p.m. ET in Mississippi, Missouri and North Dakota; 9 p.m. ET in Michigan; and 11 p.m. ET in Idaho and Washington.

How many delegates are at stake?

A total of 352 delegates are up for grabs. The biggest prize of the night is Michigan, with 125 delegates. Sanderssurprised Hillary Clinton therein 2016, winning the state by less than 2 percentage points — 49.8 percent to 48.3 percent. Donald Trump wound up winning the state by less than 1 percentage point.

There are also 13 delegates up for grabs in the Democrats abroad primary. Democrats around the world began voting in a global primary March 3, and that voting ends Tuesday.

How are they allocated?

Two types of delegates can be awarded, statewide (or at-large) delegates and district-level delegates.

Candidates must receive at least 15 percent of the vote statewide to receive any statewide delegates and must also meet the 15 percent threshold in a congressional district to receive any district-level delegates. Those who fail to meet 15 percent will be locked out.

When's the next primary?

The Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory about 4,000 miles west of Hawaii, has its Democratic caucus on March 14, where six delegates are up for grabs. Thedelegate stakes increase on March 17, when almost 600 are up for grabs in primaries in three likely swing states: Arizona, Florida and Ohio.

To win the Democratic nomination on the first ballot, a candidate must receive support from at least 1,991 of the total 3,979 pledged delegates.

Share this articleComments