LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Republican voters face more than the usual number of choices come February, and those choices continue to cause widespread confusion about how to pick which candidates will appear on their November presidential ballots.
On Tuesday, February 6, 2024, some registered voters will head to the polls during the state-run Presidential Preference Primary. Included on this ballot voters will find, Democratic, Independent, and some Republican candidates.
If the names aren’t on the Republican side of the ballot, they’ve likely opted to participate in the Nevada GOP’s caucus. It will be held on Thursday, February 8.
This is where the unusual choices come into play because Republican candidates had to decide whether to participate in either the primary or the caucus. They couldn’t do both. Similarly, Nevada’s GOP voters have to decide whether to cast a ballot or head to a caucus two days later.
Voting in the Primaries
For those who prefer to head to the polls, the process will be very simple to any other election.
Early voting begins Saturday, January 27, and runs through Friday, February 2. A list of in-person voting locations is available here.
You can find a list of the candidates on the February 6th ballot here.
Complete details on the Presidential Preference Primary are available on the Nevada Secretary of State’s website.
Participating in the Caucus Process
Some Republicans will opt to participate in the caucus system.
Both parties chose candidates by caucus until 2021, when then-Governor Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, signed the law making Nevada the first state to hold presidential primaries.
The Democratic party shifted to the primary system, but the Republicans refused.
“The NV Republican party was adamant about taking the Caucus route and the argument they gave was election integrity is a big issue for the Republican Party. The big difference between a primary and a Caucus is the Caucus is run by the party, they can do whatever they want, in how they organize it. So, for them, there’s no early voting, there’s no same-day registration, and they’re requiring voter ID. Those are things you don’t have in a primary election, but these are aspects of electoral reform that some Republicans like,” explained Dr. Dan Lee, a political science professor at UNLV, during a recent conversation with FOX5′s John Huck.
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GOP caucuses will be held in every county across the state on Thursday, February 8, between 5 and 7:30 pm. You can find a full list of caucus locations here, or you can search for your caucus location here.
Any registered Republican voter is eligible to participate in a caucus. You can check your registration status here.
Full details on the Nevada GOP 2024 Presidential Caucus are available on the state party’s website.
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