LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — There’s been plenty of confusion surrounding the upcoming presidential preference primary and Republican presidential caucus.
Senior political reporter Steve Sebelius has been working to answer your questions about the process. Here are some of the most common questions and answers:
What’s the difference between the primary and the caucus, anyway?
A primary is a state-run election, carried out by county elections officials. A caucus is a party-run election. In recent years, Democrats and Republicans have used caucuses to decide how many delegates each candidate gets. But in 2020, the Legislature decided to hold a special presidential preference primary in February every four years. The primary would only be for Republicans and Democrats, and at least two candidates must file in order to trigger a primary.
En español: Preguntas frecuentes sobre elecciones
Abel García responde a sus principales preguntas sobre las elecciones de 2024 en Nevada:
When is the primary?
The primary election this year will be held Feb. 6.
When is the caucus?
The Republican caucus will be held Feb. 8.
Why are Republicans holding a caucus when the state is putting on a primary?
Nevada Republicans said they don’t trust the state-run system, since it relies on mail-in ballots, doesn’t require identification at the polls and voters can change their party registration as late as Election Day. Republicans decided to hold a party-run caucus to limit participation to registered Republicans only and so they can check IDs.
Who pays for a primary and who pays for a caucus?
The state absorbs the costs of the primary election, but the political party pays for the cost of a caucus. Nevada Republicans charged candidates $55,000 to file for the caucus to defray their costs.
Who can vote in a primary?
Only registered members of a political party can vote in that party’s presidential primary. Nonpartisan voters and members of third parties cannot vote, and won’t receive ballots.
Who can vote in a caucus?
Only people who have been registered Republicans for at least 30 days before the Feb. 8 caucus are able to participate.
How do I vote in the Feb. 6 primary?
You can vote in the primary in any of the traditional ways:
- All active registered Republicans and Democrats will receive mail ballots, which will be counted as long as they are postmarked by Election Day, Feb. 6. (Mail ballots can also be dropped off at any voting center.)
- You can vote early from Jan. 27 through Feb. 2 at any early voting center.
- Or you can vote in person on Feb. 6.
How do I vote in the Feb. 8 caucus?
In order to vote in the caucus, you have to go to your local precinct starting at 5 p.m. on Feb. 8. You will have to show picture identification before you are allowed to cast a ballot, and your voter registration will be checked. You can find out where your local precinct is located on the Nevada Republican Party’s website.
What if I can’t get to my caucus site on Feb. 8? Can I cast a ballot another way?
Members of the military, their families and disabled voters only can request an absentee ballot to participate in the caucus. Voters can request those ballots on the party’s website.
Why isn’t former President Donald Trump listed on my primary ballot?
The Nevada Republican Party decreed that candidates who filed for the state-run primary election could not also participate in the caucus, so each candidate had to choose. Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott opted for the primary. Former President Donald Trump, ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis chose to run in the caucus instead.
What if I want to vote for former President Trump? How do I do it?
In order to cast a ballot for Trump, you have to turn out for the Feb. 8 caucus.
If there’s a primary AND a caucus, and they have separate candidates running, who gets the delegates?
Delegates will only be awarded to the winner of the Republican caucus, not the winner of the primary. State law only says the state will hold a primary if two or more candidates file, but the party decides how the delegates are awarded. This year, Republicans determined to allocate delegates based on the results of the caucus.
Why would candidates file in the primary if they can’t win any delegates, even if they win a majority of votes?
Some candidates believe the caucus favors candidates with strong organizations in Nevada, including Trump’s. They may have decided that the headlines and momentum of winning an open primary were more worthwhile than winning the 26 delegates up for grabs in Nevada. (It takes 1,215 delegates to win the nomination.)
It’s illegal to vote more than once in the same election, but can I vote in the primary AND the caucus?
Yes, you can. Because only the primary is considered an official election, voters can cast a primary ballot and also participate in the party-run caucus. Gov. Joe Lombardo said he will vote in the primary for None of These Candidates, and then caucus for Trump two days later, which is perfectly legal.
It remains illegal, however, to attempt to cast more than one vote in the primary.
None of These Candidates? Is that a thing?
Only in Nevada can voters cast a vote for None of These Candidates. The vote doesn’t really count; the human being with the highest vote total wins the election. But None of These Candidates won the 2014 Democratic primary for governor, and if enough people cast their votes for None in the presidential primary, it could wind up winning more votes than Nikki Haley. (She’d still be considered the winner of the election, however.)
Why do I still see Mike Pence and Tim Scott on my primary ballot? Didn’t they drop out months ago?
Yes, but they suspended their campaigns after the deadline to withdraw from the primary ballot.
What about the caucus? Chris Christie and Ron DeSantis dropped out; will they still be able to get votes?
No, the Republican Party will only allow votes for active candidates in the primary. The only two remaining candidates are Trump and Ryan Binkley, a pastor and business consultant from Richardson, Texas.
What if I wanted to change my voter registration and vote in the primary? Can I do that?
Yes. Any registered voter can update their voter registration online on the secretary of state's website. Or, you can update your registration at any early voting site or any voting center on Election Day when you check in.
What if I'm not registered to vote? Can I still vote in the primary?
Yes, you can: Nevada has same-day voter registration, so you can register to vote at any early voting site or at any voting center on Election Day. Remember to bring your Nevada drivers license or state-issued ID card, as well as proof of residency such as a utility bill, paycheck, mortgage statement, bank statement or income tax return that shows your address. If you register the same day as you vote, you will be given a provisional ballot, which will be counted only after your ID has been verified.
When will we know who won the primary?
On election night Feb. 6, the state will release the results of all in-person early votes, in-person Election Day votes, and mail ballots that have been counted up to the election. But those results will be considered preliminary because mail ballots can be postmarked by Election Day and received by Saturday, Feb. 10 and still be counted. Unofficial final results won’t be ready until Feb. 13.
When will we know who won the caucus?
Republican Party officials say they will be able to release final election results on the night of the caucus, Feb. 8.
Do you have any questions that we haven't answered?
