Democratic presidential candidates rally as voting begins in South Carolina primary

COLUMBIA, SC - Voters in South Carolina prepare to take to the polls for the first test of the Democratic presidential candidates in the South.

Voting stations in the Palmetto State opened Saturday morning.

According to the latest polls from RealClearPolitics, former Vice President Joe Biden has a commanding lead in the state, trailed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and billionaire Tom Steyer.

Biden crisscrossed South Carolina Friday, ahead of the primary -- what many are calling a make-or-break moment for the former vice president, who saw a sluggish start in the early contests.

In South Carolina, Biden jumped from an event venue in Sumter to a barbershop in Columbia to a college in Spartanburg, throwing punches at front-runner Sanders at all three stops.

At times, Biden has faced criticism for so-called lackluster energy, particularly compared to Sanders and his impassioned base. But the former vice president insisted his desire is there, carrying heightened energy in his final pitch to South Carolinians.

"The fact that I'm not screaming like Bernie and waving my arms isn't my lack of fire," Biden said to a crowd in Sumter.

In a crowded Wofford College indoor stadium, voters said they're eager to see the man who was once President Obama's right-hand man succeed.

"He loves people, all kinds, all colors, all nationalities," said Biden supporter Preston Brownie. "He’s someone that’s on a straight line. If you loved Obama, I don’t see why you don’t love Joe."

Biden has touted the Palmetto State as his firewall. The majority of South Carolina Democrats are African-American, according to Pew Research, so Biden is hoping his support from black voters will prove to be a slam-dunk and a revival for his campaign.

While he has maintained a double-digit lead in state polls, Sanders and billionaire Tom Steyer have started closing the gap in recent weeks.

"This state holds in its hands literally, especially the state's African-American community, the power to determine who the next nominee of the United States Democratic Party is going to be," Biden said.

Energized and enthusiastic Supporters of Biden's rival, Bernie Sanders, gathered at a park in Columbia, South Carolina Friday afternoon to prepare for one last push.

Disha Williams has been following Sanders since the last election when he lost big in the Palmetto State.

"I hope he'll do great. I was really rooting for him in 2016 and I feel like that was stolen from him," Williams said.

"We are a movement. Trump wants to divide us we're bringing people together, black, white, Latino, Native American, Asian American, gay and straight," Sanders said in his speech.

Sanders talked about free education, raising the minimum wage and healthcare for all.

"The time is now for action, whether the healthcare industry likes it or not, we're going to pass a healthcare for all single-payer program," he said.

Sanders slammed President Trump for being in South Carolina Friday instead of working with on how best to deal with the coronavirus.

"One would think, in the midst of a major healthcare crisis, the President of the United States would be assembling doctors and scientists and researchers. Not Donald Trump, he is here in South Carolina for one reason, to disrupt the democratic primary," said Sanders.

Sanders said he would need a record voter turnout to win, and encouraged everyone to start knocking on doors and telling their friends and neighbors to go to the polls.

"Let us defeat Donald Trump, let us transform. this country," said Sanders.