Super Tuesday In North Carolina: What You Need To Know

CHARLOTTE, NC — Whatever happens Tuesday in North Carolina, it's going to be super.

More than a third of Democratic National Convention delegates will go up for grabs in fourteen states, including North Carolina, this Super Tuesday, as a handful of states across the nation pick their preferred presidential candidates.

Super Tuesday won't necessarily decide who's to be the Democratic Party's nomination, but someone could claim the extra surge he or she needs to stand out in an unusually crowded race.

Here's what you should know:

When is Super Tuesday?
March 3. It is the first major primary day after Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina hold their votes.

SEE ALSO: Trump To Hold Rally In Charlotte Monday: How To Watch

When will Super Tuesday results be released?
Polls will close between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday, and it may take days to process the results.

In North Carolina, polls officially close at 7:30 p.m. and voters in line at that time will be able to cast ballots.

Which states vote Super Tuesday and how many delegates are there?
Fourteen states and one U.S. territory will hold nominating contests:

• Alabama
• American Samoa
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Iowa
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Vermont
• Virginia

A total of 1,357 delegates are at stake and it takes 1,991 to win the nomination. So while no candidate can win on Super Tuesday alone, doing well certainly helps.

RELATED: NC Appeals Court Blocks ‘Racially Discriminatory’ Voter ID Law

How do the candidates stand before Super Tuesday?
It's been a tight race between a wide range of candidates.

Up in front in North Carolina are former vice president Joe Biden, who had a decisive win Saturday in South Carolina, and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who had the lead on delegates before South Carolina's race Saturday. According to a Meredith University poll released late last week, 17.7 percent of voters favor Sanders, with 17.2 percent saying they intend to vote for Biden. In a narrow third place, according to the poll, is New York billionaire Michael Bloomberg with 17 percent voter support.

Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana who won Iowa and finished second in New Hampshire pulled the plug on his campaign Sunday. Monday afternoon, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar followed suit.

Kathleen Culliton, Patch Staff contributed