KEY POINTS 14 states will hold their primaries on Super Tuesday, March 3

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is currently leading in the polls in the critical states of Texas and California

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will be on the ballot, and is hoping for a strong performance, after spending more than $351 million on ads to target voters in the Super Tuesday states

After the Nevada caucus on Feb. 22 and the South Carolina primary on Feb. 29, the Democratic presidential candidates will compete in 14 states on March 3, known as Super Tuesday.

Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia will hold primaries that day, to be followed by Democrats Abroad primary, which will be held between March 3 and March 10, along with a primary in the American Samoa.

Super Tuesday will award 1,357 out of the total 3,979 pledged delegates in the Democratic primaries. A candidate will need more than 1,990 to win on the first ballot.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is a major frontrunner after his victory in New Hampshire. Polls currently show Sanders with the lead in the delegate-rich states of California and Texas.

Super Tuesday could force several Democratic candidates to end their runs. Super Tuesday is likely former Vice President Joe Biden’s last chance to become the frontrunner, and could end the candidacies of former Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar if they don’t have strong performances. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren also will needstrong results to survive.

Super Tuesday will serve as a debut for former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire who has spent more than $351 million on advertisements and is running as a pragmatic alternative to Trump. Yet, he faces criticism for “buying” his way into the election and his controversial remarks on African Americans.

There also will be Republican primaries on March 3 in 13 of the 14 states, with the Virginia's GOP primary cancelled by the state Republican party. President Trump is certain to cruise to victory in these races.

The last Super Tuesday event took place on March 1, 2016. On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton crushed Bernie Sanders in southern states such as Arkansas and Tennessee. She also managed to win Texas and Massachusetts. Sanders, on the other hand, won four states: Colorado, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Vermont.

On the Republican side, businessman Donald Trump won the contests in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz won in his home state, along with Oklahoma and Alaska. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio won in Minnesota.