Exit polls show South Carolina's black voters overwhelmingly backed Biden

Former Vice President Joe Biden was quickly declared the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary winner even as votes continue to roll in Saturday night, and he owes his victory in large part to the state's African American voters.

More than half of South Carolina's Democratic voters this year were black, and among the demographic the vice president received a whopping 64 percent support rate. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was closest at 15 percent.

This is no surprise for Biden who — despite his struggles in the three previous early voting states — has long been counting on South Carolina's African American voters to back him Saturday.

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The vice president did well in most exit poll categories, per CNN, though Sanders fared better with younger voters, as he normally does. Turnout numbers will help tell the full story.

Biden also received more votes from people who made their choice based on issues and those who are prioritizing beating Trump in November. Check out more exit poll numbers at CNN.