The Golden State may have a more important role in this year’s Democratic primary election, than in previous years.

“Having our primaries scheduled in June as it’s been for the last several cycles really makes California kind of an afterthought in the race for president,” said Garrick Percival, the interim political science department chair. “By moving it up in the calendar year, this gives California certainly a bigger voice in the process, but a voice that’s commensurate with its size and importance.”

All voting centers in Santa Clara County are open today, including the one in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Registered voters must make it through the door by closing time to cast a ballot for representatives of the California Senate, California Assembly, U.S. House of Representatives, San Jose City Council and Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. San Jose voters will also decide on the city’s Measure E and the statewide Proposition 13.

California, 13 other states and American Samoa are holding primary elections for the presidency and the results could mean a revival for the five remaining Democratic presidential candidates who fell behind in the primary election.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard are the remaining major candidates for the Democratic nomination.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar was the latest presidential candidate to drop out of the race Monday after former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg announced the end of his campaign on Sunday.

The most recent primary results in South Carolina yielded a big win for former Vice President Joe Biden.

However, Super Tuesday could change the tide of the race.

Similar to the electoral college’s procedure, each candidate will win delegates who will vote for the candidate at the Democratic National Convention in June, according to FiveThirtyEight.

The race determines more than a third of all delegates allocated to each candidate for the Democratic primary.