Super Tuesday II

By Veronica Rocha and Mike Hayes, CNN

Updated 4:37 p.m. ET, March 11, 2020
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6:48 p.m. ET, March 10, 2020

Michigan official says final results will likely come tomorrow

From CNN's Dianne Gallagher

Michigan counties will post partial results as they come on their county sites tonight, but Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is still sticking with her warning that “the results of today’s elections may not be known until well into Wednesday.”

Poll workers must match ballot numbers and voter signatures before the ballot can be counted. Most counties use older, slower tabulators, meaning certain employees in some counties could still be there counting until well after midnight. 

In Michigan, some clerks offices began counting once polls opened. Michigan law prevents authorities from even opening envelopes containing mail-in ballots before Election Day. 

A person who begins counting absentee ballots in the morning, must stay until the counting is complete, according to the Secretary of State’s office, meaning they are essentially in counting sequestration until the last absentee ballot is counted. 

More context: The state of Michigan sent out 993,814 absentee by mail ballots. As of this morning, the Secretary of State’s office said 804,216 had been returned. Voters have until 8 p.m. CT to return ballots at the clerk of court.

 

4:46 p.m. ET, March 10, 2020

Biden cancels rally in Cleveland tonight

From CNN's Jessica Dean

Former Vice President Joe Biden has canceled his rally tonight in Cleveland, his Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield tweeted today.

Read her tweets:

5:01 p.m. ET, March 10, 2020

Sanders cancels rally tonight "out of concern for public health"

From CNN's Annie Grayer

The Bernie Sanders' campaign is canceling its rally in Cleveland, Ohio, tonight, Communications Director Mike Casca tells CNN.

“Out of concern for public health and safety, we are canceling tonight’s rally in Cleveland," he said.

Casca continued: "We are heeding the public warnings from Ohio state officials, who have communicated concern about holding large, indoor events during the coronavirus outbreak. Sen. Sanders would like to express his regret to the thousands of Ohioans who had planned to attend the event tonight. All future Bernie 2020 events will be evaluated on a case by case basis."

More on this: There are at least 849 cases in the US, according to the state and local health agencies, governments and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Watch:

6:39 p.m. ET, March 10, 2020

There are 365 Democratic delegates at stake today

Former Vice President Joe Biden holds a narrow lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders in the delegate count with 77 more delegates after a surprisingly strong showing in last week's Super Tuesday contests. California, which which voted last week, has not finished counting their votes, and Sanders is leading in the popular vote there.

There are 365 Democratic delegates up for grabs today:

  • Idaho: 20 Democratic delegates at stake
  • Michigan: 125 Democratic delegates at stake
  • Mississippi: 36 Democratic delegates at stake
  • Missouri: 68 Democratic delegates at stake
  • North Dakota: 14 Democratic delegates at stake
  • Washington: 89 Democratic delegates at stake
  • Democrats abroad: 13 Democratic delegates at stake

A candidate needs 1,991 pledged delegates at the Democratic National Convention in July to convey the nomination.

Two key things to remember about winning pledged delegates in Democratic primaries or caucuses:

  • 15% threshold: A candidate can get delegates only if they get to 15% of the vote at EITHER the state level OR in a particular congressional or state legislative district.
  • Proportionality: Democrats allocate their delegates proportionally. That means a candidate could not get the most votes in any particular state but still amass a solid base of delegates if he or she is achieving the 15% thresholds. One good way to look at this is that it is 57 contests in the states, territories and the Democrats Abroad organization, but also hundreds of district-level contests. Candidates can get delegates either way.

Learn more about the Democrats' delegate rules.

Watch:

3:10 p.m. ET, March 10, 2020

Polls start closing at 8 p.m. ET tonight

Voters are headed to the polls in six states today. Here's when those polls close:

  • Idaho: Polls close at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET
  • Michigan: Polls close at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET
  • Mississippi: Polls close at 8 p.m. ET 
  • Missouri: Polls close at 8 p.m. ET
  • North Dakota: Polls close at 8 p.m. ET 
  • Washington: There are vote-by-mail and in-person voting options available, and polls close at 11 p.m. ET

CNN's special coverage will start at 4 p.m. ET and will air on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español.

The coverage will be available on CNN.com's homepage, across mobile devices via CNN's apps for iOS and Android, and via CNNgo apps for Amazon Fire, Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV and Chromecast.

An audio stream will also be available on SiriusXM Channels 116, 454, 795 and the Westwood One Radio Network. Watch live CNN TV on any device, anywhere.

Follow along in CNN's Election Center for full coverage.

12:17 p.m. ET, March 10, 2020

Washington state is voting by mail as it deals with coronavirus outbreak

From CNN's Kate Sullivan

Washington state is holding its primary election today as it deals with one of the largest outbreaks of reported coronavirus cases in the US.

But the state has one advantage in preventing the spread of the virus on Election Day: All of its voting is done by mail, eliminating the large gatherings that take place in most states at polling locations.

"We're a completely vote-by-mail state, so there's no polling places, people can drop their ballots off at a common place or put them in the mailbox for free," Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan told CNN's Ana Cabrera on Sunday.

Authorities in Washington state, however, have warned voters to not lick the envelopes for their mail-in ballots, tweeting, "Whether healthy or sick, please don't lick!"

More on this: Coronavirus can spread through contact with an infected person's saliva. A cough, sneeze or handshake could enable its spread, as well as touching something an infected person has touched.

4:12 p.m. ET, March 10, 2020

Biden holds lead over Sanders ahead of tonight's primaries

From CNN's Jennifer Agiesta

Former Vice President Joe Biden has a double-digit lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination, a new CNN poll of Democratic voters nationwide conducted by SSRS shows.

Biden is now the choice of a majority of Democratic voters nationwide, according to the poll, which was taken in the days after the former vice president's stronger-than-expected showing across Super Tuesday contests and as the field of Democratic contenders with a realistic shot at winning the nomination narrowed to two.

The poll finds 52% of registered voters who are Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents say they want to see Biden win the nomination, while 36% say they'd rather see Sanders win.

4:38 p.m. ET, March 10, 2020

All eyes will be on Michigan tonight

From CNN's Eric Bradner

Bernie Sanders is again looking to Michigan to save his presidential bid.

Just as suddenly as the Democratic race narrowed to a one-on-one showdown between the Vermont senator and former Vice President Joe Biden, it's brought a primary that Sanders needs to win — or his path to the Democratic nomination could quickly evaporate.

"Every state is terribly important, and I think coming Tuesday, maybe Michigan is the most important state," Sanders told reporters Friday in Detroit.

Four years ago, Sanders' stunning victory in Michigan slowed Hillary Clinton's march to the party's nomination and foreshadowed a struggle with working-class voters across the upper Midwest that would ultimately lead to President Trump's election.

Today's primary in the state will now test the ability of Sanders and Biden to win in a crucial general election battleground. It comes as the primary calendar turns toward states that appear to be more favorable to Biden. ArizonaFloridaIllinois and Ohio — all large states where Clinton beat Sanders in 2016 — are voting next week, increasing the urgency for Sanders to deliver a trajectory-changing win in Michigan today.

Watch: