Arizona Democratic Primary Results: Biden Projected To Win

Former Vice President Joe Biden is the projected winner of Tuesday's presidential preference primary in Arizona, sealing a three-state sweep in voting and making it all but impossible for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to revive his flagging campaign and capture the party's nomination.

Biden also racked up solid victories in Florida and Illinois, the two biggest delegate prizes in Tuesday's voting with 219 and 155 pledged delegates each. Arizona is awarding 67 delegates.

The primary in Arizona went on as planned, though some voters found their usual polling places closed over fear of the rapidly spreading coronavirus and COVID-19, the illness it causes.

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Ohio was on Tuesday’s primary calendar, but postponed its primary even after a judge ruled against the state’s governor and said the election should go on. Polls were closed under a health emergency, and Ohio’s secretary of state is working with the courts to set a new primary date.Arizona is a key test of Bernie Sanders' ability to find a path to the Democratic presidential nomination, though his chances were dimmed by Biden’s wins in Florida and Illinois.

3 States Hold Democratic Primaries: Results

Biden had a pledged delegate lead of 890-736 heading into Tuesday's primaries. Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard also is on the ballot, but she trails both Biden and Sanders by hundreds of delegates.

The biggest change for Arizona voters was in Maricopa County, which closed about 80 voting centers after locations canceled or poll workers canceled their shifts. Voters were able to vote at any of the 151 polls that remained open, regardless of their assigned precinct.

Some of the poll workers who canceled are older Americans, the group most susceptible to a coronavirus infection. Hobbs told the Arizona Daily Star she worked with Arizona State University to find replacement poll workers.

One thing in election officials' favor is the popularity of early voting and vote-by-mail in Arizona. In recent elections, only two in 10 ballots is marked in person at a voting center.

Ana Estrado was able to observe social distancing as recommended by the federal Centers for Disease and Control when she showed up to vote Tuesday at T.G. Barr Elementary School in south Phoenix. The 20-year-old was alone in the line when a reporter for the Arizona Republic caught up with her, and said that despite her fears about the new virus, it's important to vote in the primary.

Arizona has 18 confirmed coronavirus cases going into Tuesday's voting, according to Johns Hopkins University, which tracks the global spread of the virus in real time.