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California independents can vote in Democrats' 2020 primary

Posted at 1:25 PM, Oct 21, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-21 16:25:32-04

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Independent voters in California will be allowed to vote in the state's Democratic presidential primary, but not in the Republican contest.

The Monday announcement by the secretary of state follows the tradition of recent presidential primaries. There are more than 5.6 million voters in California who are not affiliated with a party.

California's presidential primary will be held on March 3, 2020, known as "Super Tuesday." California awards nearly 500 delegates in the Democratic primary, making it a crucial contest.

On the Republican side, it's still unclear if President Donald Trump will appear on the primary ballot. State lawmakers passed a law to block any candidate who refuses to release their tax returns from running in the primary. A federal judge blocked it, but the state is appealing.