Nevada

What to expect in Nevada's presidential primary and caucuses

Published

2 years ago

February 2, 2024

What to expect in Nevada's presidential primary and caucuses

WASHINGTON (AP) – Nevada again holds the coveted first-in-the-West slot in the presidential campaign calendar, but this year’s showdown in the Silver State won’t look like it did in previous years.

State lawmakers opted to move away from the Iowa-style presidential caucuses that Nevada had held for years in favor of a traditional, state-run primary next Tuesday. The state GOP opposed the plan and opted to hold caucuses on Feb. 8 to allocate delegates. The party also barred candidates running in the primary from running in the caucuses, forcing them to choose one event over the other.

Donald Trump is competing in the caucuses, in which all 26 delegates will be awarded, while Nikki Haley opted to stay on the non-binding primary ballot. She’s the only active major candidate on the ballot, but her biggest opponent on Tuesday might be the “None of these candidates” option that some Trump supporters might use to send her a message ahead of the South Carolina primary on Feb. 24.

In the Democratic primary, President Joe Biden faces author Marianne Williamson and a handful of relatively unknown challengers.

Here’s a look at what to expect in Nevada:

PRIMARY AND CAUCUS NIGHT

Nevada’s state-run Democratic and Republican presidential primaries will be held Tuesday. Polls close at 7 p.m. local time, which is 10 p.m. ET.

The party-run GOP caucuses will be held two days later on Feb. 8. Caucus hours are 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. local time, which is 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET.

WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT

The Associated Press will provide coverage for the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries on Tuesday and the Republican caucuses on Feb. 8.

The Democratic primary ballot includes Biden, Williamson and 11 other candidates. U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota is not on the ballot. The Republican primary ballot includes Haley, who’s a former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina governor, along with former primary candidates Mike Pence and Tim Scott and four other GOP hopefuls. Trump, the former president, is not on the primary ballot.

The Republican caucuses will feature two candidates: Trump and Ryan Binkley, a pastor. Haley is not on the caucus ballot.

Write-in votes are not allowed in either the primary or the caucuses. In the primary, voters also have the option to vote for “None of these candidates.”

WHO GETS TO VOTE

Only registered party members may participate in that party’s primary. However, Nevada also has same-day registration, which allows new voters to register and registered voters to change their party affiliations at the polls on Tuesday or during the early voting period. The deadline to change party affiliation for voters casting mail ballots was in January.

The GOP caucuses are limited to registered Republicans. The deadline to register was Jan. 9. No same-day registration is permitted. Caucus-goers must present a government-issued ID.

Republican voters may participate in both the Republican primary and caucuses.

DELEGATE ALLOCATION RULES

Nevada’s 36 pledged Democratic delegates are allocated according to the national party’s standard rules. Eight at-large delegates are allocated in proportion to the statewide primary vote, as are five PLEO delegates, or “party leaders and elected officials.” The state’s four congressional districts have a combined 23 delegates at stake, which are allocated in proportion to the vote results in each district. Candidates must receive at least 15% of the statewide vote to qualify for any statewide delegates and 15% of the vote in a congressional district to qualify for delegates in that district.

The state’s 26 Republican delegates are allocated in proportion to the statewide caucus vote on Feb. 8. Candidates must receive at least 3.9% of the caucus vote to qualify for delegates.

HOW DO THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUSES WORK?

The GOP caucuses function like a party-run primary, only with very limited polling hours and no accommodation for absentee voting, except for a small handful of active-duty military voters. Caucus-goers vote on paper ballots that are tabulated at each caucus site. Voters may cast ballots at any time between during caucus hours and may leave immediately after voting. The statewide caucus results determine how many national convention delegates each candidate has won.

DECISION NOTES

The Associated Press will declare winners in both the Democratic and Republican primaries on Tuesday, as well as the Republican caucuses on Feb. 8.

In the primaries, Nevada law requires all elections for president and statewide offices to provide an option to vote for “None of these candidates.” According to the Nevada secretary of state’s office, “only votes cast for named candidates are counted in determining the nomination or election to these offices.” In other words, the “None of these candidates” option can’t win delegates (in contests in which delegates are at stake) or electoral votes or be elected president, governor or U.S. senator.

However, if the “None of these candidates” ballot option receives the highest number of votes in an election, the AP will declare “None of these candidates” as the winner of the race or, in other words, that it has received more votes than any candidate. In this circumstance, the AP would also declare which candidate placed second behind “None of these candidates.” Any delegates at stake in the primary will be calculated using only the vote results of candidates.

This is in keeping with the unique nature of a presidential primary, which is unlike other elections in that the winner isn’t elected to office or doesn’t advance to a subsequent round of voting as a result of the victory. Being the top vote-getter in a presidential primary usually entitles a candidate to more delegates, but no delegates are up for grabs in the Nevada Republican primary, in which the only thing at stake is bragging rights. Declaring that “None of these candidates” received the most votes – or won the primary – would in this case provide a more accurate reflection of how Nevadans voted.

WHAT DO TURNOUT AND ADVANCE VOTE LOOK LIKE?

As of Jan. 1, there were about 2.3 million registered voters in Nevada. About 31% of them were Democrats, 28% Republicans and 34% independents. There is not a recent Nevada presidential primary to provide a meaningful point of comparison, but turnout for the 2020 Democratic caucuses was about 6% of registered voters.

In addition to a one-week in-person early voting period, all registered voters in Nevada are sent a primary ballot by mail, unless they opt out. As of Wednesday, nearly 124,000 Nevadans had already cast their primary ballots, about 61% in the Democratic primary and 39% in the Republican primary. In recent state primaries, 56% of voters cast ballots before primary day in 2018, while 78% did so in 2022. The 2020 state primary was an all vote-by-mail election because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In the Republican caucuses, voting must take place in person at the caucus site on caucus day, although allowances are made for active-duty military voters.

HOW LONG DOES VOTE-COUNTING USUALLY TAKE?

In Nevada state-run elections, polls close at 10 p.m. ET, but the state typically does not release vote results until after that. In the 2022 general election for governor, the first vote update was not available until 12:41 a.m. ET, with the final election night update at 4:44 a.m. ET with 82% of votes tabulated.

In the 2016 GOP caucuses, the first votes were reported at 11:01 p.m. ET, and the last caucus night update was at 5:19 a.m. ET with 100% of votes counted.

ARE WE THERE YET?

As of Tuesday, there will be 273 days until the November general election.

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Nevada

Nevada City to weigh water/wastewater treatment fee hikes

Published

12 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Nevada City to weigh water/wastewater treatment fee hikes

Water and wastewater users in Nevada City could see fee hikes coming down the pipe as the City of Nevada City is currently going through steps needed to do so.

According to the city staff report, water users would see a 25% increase in costs each year for the next 5 years, while wastewater use would result in a 12% increase each year for the next five years.

For example, a water user currently paying $48 bi-monthly in fees, would be paying $198.41 bi-monthly by 2030.

A current wastewater user paying $159.31 bi-monthly, would be paying $250.67 bi-monthly by 2030.

“It is necessary to periodically review rates to ensure that the City can obtain sufficient funds to develop, construct, operate, maintain, and manage its water and wastewater system on a continuing basis, in full compliance with federal, state, and local requirements,” a staff report prepared by Interim City Manager Joan Phillipe said.

Council and staff will convene on the matter at their next regularly scheduled council meeting this Wednesday January 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Nevada City Hall, 317 Broad Street.

“It is recommended that City Council select a rate option for both water and wastewater and direct staff to initiate the Proposition 218 noticing process. This will involve public engagement and noticing to receive and consider feedback regarding the proposed rates and with public meetings and a hearing as mandated by Proposition 218 for formal adoption of rate adjustments,” the staff report said.

City to look at Enterprise Fleet services

Also at Wednesday’s meeting, the city of Nevada City will consider approval of an agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management to the tune of up to $400,000 per year.

“To increase fleet efficiency, reliability, and reduce expensive repair and fuel costs, staff has researched leasing options that would be a benefit to the organization,” the city staff report reads. “The City of Nevada City currently purchases all fleet vehicles on a cash basis, meaning the entire cost of each vehicle is paid at the time of purchase. This can be heavily impactful to the city as a whole and difficult to adequately budget for. Utilizing Enterprise Fleet Management would yield moderate savings while simultaneously improving fleet viability, safety, and appearance.”

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Nevada

Nevada hosts newly minted MW member Grand Canyon this Tuesday

Published

24 hours ago

January 26, 2026

Press Room

Nevada hosts newly minted MW member Grand Canyon this Tuesday

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – The Nevada Men’s Basketball team will host new Mountain West member Grand Canyon University this Tuesday.

The game will be played in Reno at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 27 and will be broadcast on FS1.

This will be the fourth time the two programs have played.

GCU is coming off a 68-57 win over Fresno State and are 14-6 on the season.

Meanwhile, Nevada is coming off an 80-73 loss to New Mexico on Saturday.

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Nevada

22 things to do this week: Nevada-UNLV, Brew HaHa and more

Published

2 days ago

January 26, 2026

Press Room

22 things to do this week: Nevada-UNLV, Brew HaHa and more

Does it seem like everyone’s getting snow but us? While most of the country is digging out from a round of snowstorms, northwestern Nevada and the Sierra are struggling through low-precipitation conditions.

This week might bring a degree of relief, with a chance of precipitation from Wednesday through Sunday, especially around Lake Tahoe.

We might not have much of a snowpack, but the calendar is packed. Nevada men’s basketball has a pair of home games this week, including a big one on Friday night against in-state rival UNLV, and the Reno Ice Raiders will host a two-game set against San Diego. The Sierra Arts Foundation’s annual beer-and-music fundraiser is set for Saturday night, and the concert lineup includes everything from country-rock to indie to jazz and funk.

Here’s a look at the week ahead for Reno, Sparks, Lake Tahoe and northwestern Nevada as the calendar rolls into February.

Reno-Tahoe events, Jan. 26-Feb. 1

Carnival of Chaos Tour, Jan. 26: Quite a mixed bill here, as rapper Ouija Macc and Wacco The Kidd team with humorous punk/metal band Green Jelly and a troupe of wrestlers — all hosted by Insane Clown Posse member Violent J. It all begins at 6:30 p.m. at Virginia Street Brewhouse, 211 N. Virginia St. Tickets are $35-$40. Details at jmaxproductions.net.

Weakened Friends, Jan. 27: For a decade, this band from Portland, Maine has been beguiling indie rock fans with its post-punk influenced sound. They play at 7 p.m. at Holland Project, 140 Vesta St. Tickets are $17-$19. Details: 775-742-1858 or hollandreno.org.

Nevada men’s basketball vs. Grand Canyon University, Jan. 27: The Wolf Pack hosts the Lopes in a Tuesday evening matchup at Lawlor Events Center, 1664 N. Virginia St. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. For details and tickets, call 775-348-7225 or visit nevadawolfpack.com.

Dexter and the Moonrocks, Jan. 27: A country-rock group from Texas that has dubbed its sound “Western space grunge,” this band plays at 8 p.m. at Virginia Street Brewhouse, 211 N. Virginia St. Tickets are $30-$40. Details at jmaxproductions.net.

“Lonely Planet,” Jan. 28-31: It’s the final week for this two-person play about gay friends navigating loneliness and connection against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic in the 1990s. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; Wednesday’s performance includes a 60-minute pre-show, “Living Memory: An Intergenerational Conversation.” It’s happening at Brüka Theatre, 99 N. Virginia St. For details and tickets, visit bruka.org.

Dave Mason, Jan. 29: The famed singer/songwriter/guitarist known for his time with Traffic, session work and a solo career will be sharing stories from his new book, “Only You Know And I Know” at this spoken-word event and will answer audience questions during this show. It takes place at 6 p.m. at Nashville Social Club, 1105 S. Carson St., Carson City. Tickets are $130-$140. Details at thenashvilleclub.com.

Your Arms Are My Cocoon, Jan. 29: A lo-fi emo-pop concoction from Chicago, this solo artist plays at 7 p.m. at Holland Project, 140 Vesta St. Tickets are $12-$15. Details: 775-742-1858 or hollandreno.org.

The Bunny The Bear, Jan. 29: This band from Buffalo, New York that mixes electronic music with metal plays at 8 p.m. at Club Underground, 555 E. Fourth St. Tickets are $5. Details at clubundergroundreno.com.

Sang Matiz, Jan. 29-31: With a myriad of influences, this Bay Area band combines funk and jazz with music from South American and Africa. They play at 7 p.m. the first night and 8 p.m. subsequent nights at Terrace Lounge, Peppermill Resort Casino, 2707 S. Virginia St. Details at peppermillreno.com.

“The Cottage,” Jan. 29-Feb. 1: A comedy about marriages, secrets and human relationships, set in a cottage in the English countryside. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Reno Little Theater, 147 E. Pueblo St. For details and tickets, visit renolittletheater.org.

Nevada men’s basketball vs. UNLV, Jan. 30: It’s rivalry time! The Wolf Pack hosts the Rebels in a Friday night matchup at Lawlor Events Center, 1664 N. Virginia St. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. For details and tickets, call 775-348-7225 or visit nevadawolfpack.com.

Reno Ice Raiders vs. San Diego, Jan. 30-31: Reno’s semipro hockey team hosts the Renegades in a two-game set at Reno Ice, 15500 Wedge Parkway. For details and tickets, visit renoiceraiders.com.

Magique, Jan. 30-31: A show that blends magic, comedy and dance takes place at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Shows are at the Celebrity Showroom, Nugget Casino Resort, 1100 Nugget Avenue, Sparks. Tickets are $60-$140. For details, call 775-356-3300 or visit cnty.com/nugget.

Winter Band Wars, Jan. 31: A contest show featuring 16 bands or artists from Reno. It takes place at 7 p.m. each night at Club Underground, 555 E. Fourth St. Shows are Jan. 31, Feb. 7 and 21. Tickets are $10-$20 for each show. Details at facebook.com/clubundergroundreno.

Shane Dwight, Jan. 31: The blues/Americana guitarist from Nashville will play at 7:30 p.m. at Nashville Social Club, 1105 S. Carson St., Carson City. Tickets are $30-$35. Details at thenashvilleclub.com.

Brew HaHa 2026, Jan. 31: A fundraiser for Sierra Arts Foundation, this annual event includes a live band among the beer sampling from regional brewers. It begins at 8 p.m. at the Grand Ballroom, Nugget Casino Resort, 1100 Nugget Avenue, Sparks. Tickets are $75-$95. For details, call 775-356-3300 or visit cnty.com/nugget.

Hashtronaut, Jan. 31: A stoner/doom band from Colorado that’s gaining a big audience from touring, Hashtronaut plays at 8 p.m. at The Alpine, 324 E. Fourth St. Tickets are $15. Details at thealpine-reno.com.

Analog Dog, Jan. 31: Not beholden to a particular genre, but having elements of modern indie pop, jazz fusion and neo-disco, this group from San Francisco plays at 8:30 p.m. at Lo-Bar Social, 445 California Avenue. There is a $5 cover charge. Details at lobarsocial.com.

Boogie T, Jan. 31: This bass music DJ/artist, whose real name is Brock Thornton, performs at 9 p.m. at Cargo, Whitney Peak Hotel, 255 N. Virginia St. Tickets are $35-$45. For details, call 775-398-5400 or cargoreno.com.

Justin Martin, Jan. 31: Putting together a mix of bass music and house, this DJ/artist performs at 9:30 p.m. at Cypress, 761 S. Virginia St. Tickets are $25-$50. Details at freshbakin.com.

Jo Passed, Feb. 1: Led by multi-instrumentalist Jo Hirabayashi, this group from Canada on the Sub Pop roster merges indie-folk with ’70s electronic styles. They play at 7 p.m. at Holland Project, 140 Vesta St. Tickets are $10-$12. Details: 775-742-1858 or hollandreno.org.

WonkyWilla, Feb. 1: This bass music DJ/producer from Florida performs at 8 p.m. at The Alpine, 324 E. Fourth St. Tickets are $30-$40. Details at freshbakin.com.

Reno-Tahoe weather, Jan. 26-Feb. 1

Monday: Mostly cloudy in the morning, then partly cloudy; highs in the upper 40s to low 50s in the valleys and in the upper 30s to mid-40s at higher elevations. Partly cloudy overnight, with lows in the upper 20s in the valleys and in the mid-10s to mid-20s at higher elevations.

Tuesday: Partly cloudy, with highs in the upper 40s to mid-50s in the valleys and in the mid-40s at higher elevations. Mostly cloudy overnight, with lows in the upper 20s to low 30s in the valleys and in the 20s at higher elevations.

Wednesday: In the valleys: partly cloudy, with highs in the upper 40s to mid-50s. Around Lake Tahoe: mostly cloudy, with a slight chance of afternoon snow; highs in the low 40s. Mostly cloudy overnight, with a slight chance of rain and snow at higher elevations. Overnight lows in the upper 20s to low 30s in the valleys and in the 20s at higher elevations.

Thursday: Partly cloudy with a chance of rain and snow at higher elevations; highs in the upper 40s to mid-50s in the valleys and in the low 40s at higher elevations. Partly cloudy with a chance of precipitation overnight, with lows in the low 20s to low 30s in the valleys and in the upper 10s to upper 20s at higher elevations.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 40s to upper 50s in the valleys and in the low 40s to low 50s at higher elevations. Partly cloudy with a chance of snow overnight, with lows in the mid-20s to mid-30s in the valleys and in the 20s at higher elevations.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with highs in the 50s in the valleys and in the mid-40s to mid-50s at higher elevations. In the valleys: mostly clear overnight, with lows in the mid-20s to mid-30s. Around Lake Tahoe: partly cloudy with a slight chance of snow overnight, with lows in the 20s.

Sunday: In the valleys: partly cloudy, with highs in the upper 40s to upper 50s. Around Lake Tahoe: cloudy with a chance of precipitation, with highs in the low 40s to low 50s. Cloudy overnight, with lows in the mid-20s to mid-30s in the valleys; a chance of snow around Lake Tahoe, with lows in the 20s.

Northern Nevada roads, Jan. 26-Feb. 1

Before traveling over Sierra passes, check the latest weather conditions at nvroads.com and roads.dot.ca.gov.

North McCarran Boulevard: Lane reductions will be in place on North McCarran between Keystone Avenue and Sullivan Lane as the Nevada Department of Transportation conducts crack sealing on the roadway surface. Lane reductions are set to take place through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. through 1 a.m.

West Fourth Street: Work is underway on a project to widen sidewalks, improve lighting and add ADA-compliant ramps at key locations on Fourth Street west of downtown. For more information, visit fourthstreetimprovements.com.

Mill Street, Reno: Work continues on Mill Street between I-580 and Golden Lane while crews work on utility trenching. For the latest updates, visit millstreetwidening.com.

Arlington Avenue, Reno: The bridges over the Truckee River on Arlington Avenue have been demolished, and traffic is being re-routed to nearby bridges. Replacement bridges will be completed in summer 2026.

Sparks Boulevard, Sparks: Work continues on the Sparks Boulevard Capacity Improvement Project, which will expand the route from four lanes to six on the roughly two-mile stretch between I-80 and Baring Boulevard. Expect round-the-clock lane closures between Springland/O’Callaghan Drive and Baring Boulevard through mid-March. For the latest updates, visit sparksblvdproject.com.

Mark Earnest contributed to this report.

Brett McGinness is the engagement editor for the Reno Gazette Journal. He’s also the writer of The Reno Memo — a free newsletter about news in the Biggest Little City. Subscribe to the newsletter right here. Consider supporting the Reno Gazette Journal, too.

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