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No Party Preference Voters Allowed To Vote In California Democratic Primary On 'Super Tuesday'

SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) – California voters who have not registered with a political party will be allowed to vote in the 2020 Democratic Party primary, state officials announced Monday.

Secretary of State Alex Padilla said in a statement that the Democrats, along with the American Independent and Libertarian parties, have notified his office that they will allow "No Party Preference" voters to cast ballots in their contests scheduled for March 3rd.

Historically among the last states to hold primary elections, the rescheduled California Democratic contest is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated primaries of the 2020 season, taking place one month after the Iowa Caucuses and three weeks after the New Hampshire primary. More than a dozen other states, including Texas and Virginia, are also holding primaries on March 3rd, in what is informally being called "Super Tuesday."

Meanwhile, the Republican Party, along with the Green Party and Peace and Freedom Party, will only allow voters registered with their respective parties to participate in their primaries.

There are also questions about President Donald Trump appearing on the Republican primary ballot in California, after lawmakers passed a bill requiring a candidate to release five years tax returns to show up on the ballot. The law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, has been blocked by a federal judge amid a challenge by the Trump administration.

According to the Secretary of State's office, there are more than 5.65 million Californians that are registered with No Party Preference, more than 28 percent of the state's voters.

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