(KCBS Radio) - The California Secretary of State announced today that independent voters in California will be allowed to vote in the state's upcoming Democratic presidential primary which could tip the scales in the highly competitive race.
However, that won’t be case for the Republican contest.
While the Democratic party will allow independent voters to cast ballots in the primary, the Republican Party, Green Party and Peace and Freedom Party only allow voters registered with their respective parties to participate.
On the Republican side, it is still unclear if President Donald Trump will appear on California's primary ballot, as state lawmakers passed legislation to block any candidate who refuses to release their tax returns from running in the primary. A federal judge blocked the law, but the state is appealing.
California's presidential primary, will be held on Mar. 3, 2020, also known as "Super Tuesday" after former Governor Jerry Brown signed off on a law moving it earlier in the election cycle to give the state's 495 Democratic delegates more weight in deciding the party's presidential nominee.
There are more than 5.6 million voters in California who are not affiliated with a party.