Clinton nears clinching nomination after Puerto Rico primary win

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, June 6 (UPI) -- Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has added to her list of primary victories with a win in Puerto Rico while Bernie Sanders criticized "irregularities" in the contest.

"We just won Puerto Rico! Thanks to the island of enchantment for this victory!" Clinton said in a statement.

Clinton could lock the Democratic nomination on Tuesday when South Dakota, North Dakota, California, Montana, New Jersey and New Mexico hold primaries with a total of 694 delegates up for grabs. If superdelegates are counted toward the total -- and don't change -- the Clinton campaign needs about 30 more delegates to clinch the nomination.

Sanders said accusations made by Democratic officials in Puerto Rico that the Sanders campaign requested for fewer polling places were "completely false."

"The opposite is true. In emails with the party, Sanders' staff asked the party to maintain the 1,500 plus presidential primary locations promised by the Puerto Rico Democratic party in testimony before the DNC in April, when the party was asking to have its caucus changed to a primary," Sanders said in a statement. "They cannot blame their shoddy running of the primary on our campaign. This is just one example of irregularities going on in Puerto Rico voting today. We are the campaign that has been fighting to increase voter participation."

Puerto Rico's residents cannot vote in the general election. The island commonwealth is facing an economic debt crisis that has led to the beginning of action by the U.S. Congress seeking to give Puerto Rico relief.

About 45 percent of Puerto Ricans live in poverty, where the median household income is $19,000.

For Democrats, the delegate results are not official until the Democratic National Convention, which is scheduled to begin July 25. Clinton has 1,809 pledged delegates to Sanders' 1,520 -- but if superdelegates are counted, Clinton's lead rises to 2,357 to Sanders' 1,566.