Polls have now closed in states on Mountain Time, and results are clear: Bernie Sanders has won mountainous victories in Colorado and Utah.
In Colorado, a swing state with an increasingly progressive electorate, Sanders has been leading in the polls in recent weeks. The Associated Press has called the state for him. With 21% of the vote in, Sanders has 36% of the vote.
Three other candidates are all viable at the moment. Michael Bloomberg is in second with 24% of the vote. Biden follows at 20% and Warren at 17%.
Turnout in the first Colorado Democratic presidential primary in two decades has been high, according to the Associated Press wire. More than 1.5 million of Colorado’s 3.4 million voters had cast ballots by mid-day.
One last thing to note: As an all vote-by-mail state, Colorado is a state where a lot of people can and do vote early. Many voters cast ballots for Pete Buttigieg or Amy Klobuchar before their withdrawal from the race. Both candidates “officially” withdrew from the Colorado presidential primary, meaning that their votes will not be counted and they will be awarded no delegates.
In Utah, Sanders has been leading the tally with 32% of the vote and a third of precincts reporting. The Associated Press has called the race in his favor.
Michael Bloomberg is in second place there, but his 18% puts him at just over half of Sanders’ vote count. It is still early. Klobuchar and Buttigieg are accounting for around 19% of the total count so far.
Turnout has been up. From the Associated Press:
The Democratic primary is open in Utah, so voters can cast a ballot regardless of party affiliation.
Many polling places had steady traffic, and turnout numbers were near the 32% presidential-primary record set in 2008, according to elections director Justin Lee. It was also the first time in more than a decade for the state to hold a primary on Super Tuesday.
A late swing towards Biden seems unlikely in Utah. The former Vice President is only at 12.25% at the time of writing. But expect his numbers to climb to above the fifteen percent viability threshold before tallying is complete.