Fourteen states and one U.S. territory host Super Tuesday primaries next week, a flurry that could bring more clarity about which Democratic presidential contender voters prefer to challenge Republican President Donald Trump in November.

More than a third of delegates will be doled out in Tuesday's nominating contests, compared with less than 5% awarded from the four states voting in February. A candidate needs 1,991 delegates to win the Democratic nomination at the party's national convention in July.

The votes will test the front-runner status secured by Senator Bernie Sanders after wins in New Hampshire and Nevada and a near-tie in Iowa. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will be on ballots for the first time, potentially further splintering the field of candidates campaigning as a moderate alternative to Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist.

Here is what you need to know about this key day in the Democratic presidential nominating battle.

After a month of states holding nominating contests one by one, Tuesday marks the first time a group of states hold primary elections on the same day. Historically, the batch of primaries has further winnowed the field.

California and Texas are the day's biggest prizes, with 415 and 228 delegates, respectively. California, the most populous U.S. state, held its primary in June during the 2016 presidential race but opted to return as a Super Tuesday state this cycle to try to increase its influence.

The other states with primaries on Tuesday are Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont and Virginia.

Votes will also be conducted in American Samoa, a U.S.

On Super Tuesday, 1,357 delegates will be awarded, a significant chunk of the 3,979 pledged delegates at stake in the nominating race.

In order for candidates to win any delegates in a state, they must finish with at least 15% of the vote, either in the statewide total or an individual congressional district.

North Carolina, with its 110 delegates, could give the winning candidate bragging rights about success in a general election battleground state.

Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar will be tested in the respective states they represent in the Senate - Vermont (16 delegates), Massachusetts (91 delegates) and Minnesota (75 delegates).

The other states' delegate counts are as follows: Virginia (99), Colorado (67), Tennessee (64), Alabama (52), Oklahoma (37), Arkansas (31), Utah (29) and Maine (24). Additionally, 13 delegates will be awarded for "Democrats Abroad" and six in American Samoa. (Reuters via VOA)

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