William Cummings | USA TODAY

USA TODAY

Sen. Bernie Sanders handily defeated former Vice President Joe Biden among voters living outside the U.S., Democrats Abroad announced Monday.

The group, an official arm of the Democratic Party, said Sanders received 57.9% of the vote to Biden's 22.7%. Sanders will be awarded nine delegates and Biden four.

Voting in the Democrats Abroad primary began on March 3, aka Super Tuesday, and continued through March 10. Democrats Abroad said participation was up 15% 2016 (when Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton 68.8%-30.9%), with nearly 40,000 votes cast.

Despite the victory, Sanders still trails Biden by about 300 pledged delegates. Biden is 786 delegates shy of the 1,991 needed to lock up the presidential nomination.

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Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders debate in Washington

"Americans abroad have spoken, and they’ve done so in higher numbers than ever, despite the challenges of Covid-19," said Julia Bryan, the Democrats Abroad chairwoman. "I’d like to thank the voters in 180 countries who cast their ballot in our largest-ever Global Presidential Primary."

Both Biden and Sanders have left the campaign trail amid the new coronavirus outbreak and federal guidelines against gatherings of 10 or more people. Several states have moved their election dates back because of the outbreak.