Primary election live results: Louisiana and Missouri Democrats hold contests Saturday

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump, the former president, unofficially sewed up their parties’ nominations earlier this month. But the process of selecting the nominees has long depended on voters in places such as Louisiana and about two dozen other states and territories where people will vote in primaries and caucuses long after the presumptive nominees have been determined.

Biden also goes before Missouri primary voters on Saturday. Republicans held presidential caucuses earlier in the month.

The Associated Press is providing live updates on the primaries below.

Louisiana primaries

Polls close at 8 p.m. CDT, which is 9 p.m. EDT.

WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT

The Democratic ballot lists Biden, Marianne Williamson, former candidate Dean Phillips and five others. On the Republican ballot are Trump, former candidates Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Vivek Ramaswamy, and three others.

WHO GETS TO VOTE

Only voters registered with a party may participate in that party’s presidential primary. Democrats can’t vote in the Republican primary and vice versa.

DELEGATE ALLOCATION RULES

There are 48 pledged Democratic delegates at stake. Ten at-large delegates are allocated in proportion to the statewide vote, as are six PLEO delegates, or “party leaders and elected officials.” The state’s six congressional districts have a combined 32 delegates at stake, which are allocated in proportion to the vote results in each district. Candidates must receive at least 15% of the statewide vote to qualify for any statewide delegates and 15% of the vote in a congressional district to qualify for delegates in that district. Delegates will be awarded using the old 2022 congressional district boundaries, not the new map passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed by Landry in January.

There are 47 pledged Republican delegates at stake. They are awarded on a “winner-take-all” basis to the top statewide vote-getter.

Missouri Democratic Primary

Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. CDT, which is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT.

WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT

The ballot lists Biden, Jason Palmer, Marianne Williamson, former candidate Dean Phillips and two others. “Uncommitted” is also an option. There is no Republican presidential contest on Saturday.

WHO GETS TO VOTE

Missouri voters who registered by Feb. 21 as Democrats or as unaffiliated may participate in the primary. Registered Republicans may not participate.

DELEGATE ALLOCATION RULES

There are 64 pledged Democratic delegates at stake in Missouri.

Fourteen at-large delegates are allocated in proportion to the statewide vote, as are eight PLEO delegates, or “party leaders and elected officials.” The state’s eight congressional districts have a combined 42 delegates at stake, which are allocated in proportion to the vote results in each district.

Candidates must receive at least 15% of the statewide vote to qualify for any statewide delegates and 15% of the vote in a congressional district to qualify for delegates in that district.

Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Jacquelyn Martin/AP, Ronda Churchill/Reuters