PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Mainers are participating in their first presidential primary in 20 years as part of the day's high stakes Super Tuesday series of contests.

Maine is one of the 14 states holding its Democratic primary on Tuesday, a day that is expected to bring clarity to a crowded field of candidates. The Pine Tree State last used primaries in 1996 and 2000 and then switched to the caucus system for the next four presidential election cycles.

The return to primaries, made through a legislative change, means turnout is likely to be much higher than previous contests, said Mark Brewer, a political scientist with University of Maine. But it might not necessarily affect the day's outcome, as 2016 caucus winner and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders won handily last time and remains popular in the state, Brewer said.

Maine’s primary apportions 24 delegates, a relatively small number, but the importance of winning the state can't be overlooked, Brewer said.

“It's a small number of delegates, but it matters. All delegates matter. Especially when you've got a race that is multi-headed," Brewer said. “It also matters because you want to be able to say how many states you won on Super Tuesday.”

Maine's primary presents a chance for Sanders to build on his lead, but he'll have to do it against a larger field than last time.

The Sanders campaign picked up steam in the early primaries and caucuses, allowing the senator to establish himself as the front-runner heading into Super Tuesday. Sanders scored a particularly convincing win in the Feb. 22 Nevada caucus, allowing him to establish a slim lead in delegates. But former Vice President Joe Biden scored a huge victory in South Carolina and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren also picked up delegates in early contests.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made waves by qualifying for debates despite not appearing on the ballot in the earliest states. He's on the ballot in Maine, where he has had more of a campaign presence than the other Democrats in recent weeks.

Sanders won Maine's Democratic caucus over eventual nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016. The state did not hold its caucus until a few days after Super Tuesday that year. The winner of the Republican caucus that year was Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.