Sanders projected to win the California Democratic primary, 88% of the vote reporting

Vermont Sen Bernie Sanders is projected to win California, the most delegate-rich state in the nation, a protracted contest that included ballot counting nearly two weeks after Super Tuesday and amid a burgeoning coronavirus pandemic.

With 415 delegates up for grabs, Sanders is currently ahead with an estimated 185 delegates, compared to Biden's 143 - leaving 82 delegates up for grabs. Warren was awarded five so far.

While the state typically falls behind in tallying their votes, the stakes are high for former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Sanders, the two Democratic front-runners as the race continues to winnow.

A bump in delegates could give Sanders extra momentum following disappointing losses in Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri and Idaho--defeats which further complicate his path to netting enough delegates to net the Democratic nomination for the presidency.

Sanders has vowed to stay the course though the self-described Democratic Socialist indicated Wednesday that the math needed to net the nomination looks difficult.

Based on his overwhelming support from Hispanic voters, which make up 26% of the California Democratic electorate, Sanders could see a boost as the votes continue to roll in.

"Last night, obviously was not a good night for our campaign from a delegate point of view," he said Wednesday. "We lost in the largest state up for grabs yesterday, the state of Michigan. We lost in Mississippi, Missouri, and Idaho."

However, according to exit poll data, only 18% of Californians cast votes on Super Tuesday or in the days prior, which is lower than other Super Tuesday states like Texas or Virginia.

Based on that data, Biden had a bump with voters who had decided on their candidate in the last few days.

According to the California Secretary of State’s office, final results do not have to be reported until April 3.

“In the state with the largest electorate in the nation, the vote count does not end on Election Night — and that’s a good thing,” Secretary of State Alex Padilla said previously in a press release.

“Several safety nets exist to protect voting rights, including Same Day Voter Registration, provisional ballots, and the postmark-plus-three days rule for vote-by-mail ballots. These laws require county elections officials to take their time processing ballots and voter registrations. In California, we work to ensure every ballot is counted properly and every ballot is accounted for,” he said.