Feb. 1 (UPI) — The Nevada GOP and Democratic primaries and — and also a Republican caucus — in the 2024 presidential race are days away, with no direct showdown between the top GOP candidates.
Here’s how it works.
Nevada
How it works: Presidential primaries — and a caucus — next up in Nevada – UPI.com
1 of 2 | Former U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley addresses a crowd of supporters in her home state of South Carolina last week. Next week, she’s on the ballot for the GOP presidential primary in Nevada. Photo by Richard Ellis/UPI | License Photo
Former President Donald Trump will be part of the Nevada Republican Party’s caucus on Feb. 8. The only other candidate in the caucus is pastor and businessman Ryan Binkley.
Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley is not taking part in the caucus. Instead, she will be on the ballot in the state’s Republican primary. The state GOP ruled that candidates who participate in the primary are not eligible to participate in the caucus and vice versa.
Democratic candidates are only participating in a primary.
Delegates will only be awarded to candidates in the GOP’s caucus — not the primary. Twenty-six delegates up for grabs. With Haley’s absence, Trump is expected to win the lion’s share.
Chris Lacivita and Susie Wiles, consultants for the Trump campaign, chastised Haley’s decision to enter the primary in a nearly 800-word campaign email on Monday.
Nine Republican candidates qualified for at least one of the Republican debates and Binkley was not among them. To qualify, they needed to meet donor and polling benchmarks.
The Nevada legislature passed a bill in 2021 that created the state’s first Presidential Preference Primary election. Nevada had long been a caucus state for Democrats and Republicans. With the new law, a primary is required when more than one candidate files for a race.
The state also passed universal mail-in voting during the session.
Democrats held a majority in Nevada’s legislature at the time and former Gov. Steve Sisolak was also a Democrat. The Democratic lawmakers favored a primary over caucus because they believed it would increase participation.
Republicans challenged this decision with a lawsuit. The lawsuit was dropped earlier this month, but the court allowed the Republican Party to award delegates only through the caucus.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, Republican, was critical of the Republican Party’s decision to hold a caucus after the primary law was enacted, saying it will be confusing for voters.
“It will disenfranchise a number of voters that are interested in voting for a presidential candidate,” Lombardo said during an appearance on Nevada Newsmakers in October. “For us to put upon them the understanding of the process is unacceptable. It’s detrimental to the candidates and their inability to be part of both processes. That’s unacceptable of how things should be done.”
Theresa DeGraffenreid, Douglas County Republican Party vice chair, told UPI she does not expect voters to be confused. Her county party, like others across the state, have put in a concerted effort to educate voters about how to find their caucus location and why it is important to participate.
It is county officials like DeGraffenreid who will carry out the caucuses on Feb. 8, at the direction of the Republican Party. DeGraffenreid said the process itself is very simple.
Unlike the primary, the Nevada caucus takes place completely in-person from 5 to 7:30 p.m. PST. Voters will report to their designated caucus location based on the precinct they live in. There they will cast secret ballots for their preferred candidate.
The precincts also meet to select delegates for their county conventions. Only registered Republicans can participate in the Republican primary.
DeGraffenreid said one of the unique qualities of the caucus is the ability to discuss the candidates with neighbors. She has participated in the caucus since moving from California to Nevada in 2007.
“This is harkening back to — let’s talk to our neighbors,” she said. “Let’s figure out what’s best for us as a community of people. So we can have a civil conversation.”
The primary is a much different process. It is run by the state and there will be primaries for Republicans and Democrats. Early voting began on Saturday and continues through Friday. In-person voting opens Tuesday.
DeGraffenreid noted that Republicans also favor the caucus because it eliminates mail-in voting.
President Joe Biden, author Marianne Williamson and Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips will appear on the ballot in the Democratic primary, along with several more candidates.
Haley is the only Republican candidate still campaigning who has filed for the primary. The ballot will also include a “none of the above” option.
Haley is on the campaign trail in South Carolina. That state’s Republican primary is Feb. 24.