Posted on 01/19/2008 4:15:04 AM PST by I'll be your Huckleberry
Jan. 19, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
THE NEVADA CAUCUS: WHAT'S ON THE LINE Groundwork laid months ago for state's upstart caucus to be put to test today
By MOLLY BALL
REVIEW-JOURNAL
This is your only chance to have a say in whom the presidential candidates will be. Presidential candidates will not be on the ballot in Nevada's regularly scheduled August primary.
Today's caucuses are not Nevada's first, they are just the first ones to be a big deal.
Nevada Democrats have had caucuses for decades, but they were small affairs and usually occurred after the nominee already had been chosen by other states. Nevada Republicans didn't have a presidential nomination contest at all, only county and state party conventions where delegates were chosen.
The difference this time is that the caucuses are in January, making Nevada one of the first states to weigh in and giving the state more influence as a result. Both parties' nominations appear up for grabs, with multiple Democrats and Republicans still in contention.
Nevada is divided into more than 1,700 precincts, each of which will meet separately to select delegates. The number of delegates assigned to each precinct follows a formula based on the number of registered party members.
The Democratic caucuses will be held at more than 500 locations across the state, more locations than there were polling places in the 2006 election. Some locations will have multiple precincts. For example, several precincts might meet in different classrooms at a school.
The Democrats allow same-day registration for the caucus. If you are eligible to vote but have not registered, you can go to your precinct's site, fill out a voter registration form, and participate in the caucus. To find the correct location, enter your address in the caucus locator at www.nvdemscaucus.com or call 702-737-8683.
The Democrats also have special precincts for voters who work on or near the Strip. These precincts became the subject of controversy this week when a lawsuit sought to wipe them out, contending they were unfair. But a judge gave the precincts the OK on Thursday.
The at-large precincts are located in the convention areas of the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, Flamingo Las Vegas, Luxor, The Mirage, Paris Las Vegas, New York-New York, Rio and Wynn Las Vegas.
You must show a work ID for a business within 21/2 miles of the Strip -- it doesn't have to be one of the hotels where the caucuses are -- and you have to sign a form swearing that you are scheduled to work within an hour of the caucus, which is expected to last more than an hour.
Doors close at 11:30 a.m. Anyone who arrives after that will be turned away.
The Republicans do not have special precincts for workers. They meet at more than 100 locations. The Republicans require voter registration 30 days in advance. If you have been a registered Republican since Dec. 19, look up your caucus location at www.nvgopcaucus.com or by calling 702-258-9182. Doors close at 9:10 a.m.
The Democratic and Republican caucuses are modeled after Iowa's traditional precinct caucuses, which were held on Jan. 3. The parties follow different models.
Democrats assemble into groups, one for each candidate. You can caucus for any candidate; there is no ballot. Once the groups are assembled, some of them will be too small to get a delegate, so they will split up and join other groups or go home. After the groups re-assemble, each group gets a portion of the total delegates allocated to that precinct.
If you don't like your choices, you can caucus for "uncommitted." That's what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid plans to do in his hometown of Searchlight, so as to remain neutral.
At most precincts, a candidate must get 15 percent of total attendance to earn a delegate, or be "viable." Each precinct will have a trained volunteer, the precinct chair, running the show, so anyone who is confused about the process shouldn't worry.
Each campaign gets to sign off on the final results so there is no disagreement. The precinct chair then calls in to an automated system, punching in codes for the precinct and following prompts to enter delegate numbers.
The automated system, which party officials say is secure, feeds into the Democratic Party's computers. Results will start appearing, precinct by precinct, on the www.nvdemscaucus.com Web site as they come in. The party expects to have the delegate counts in by 2 p.m. Turnout numbers will come in a little while later.
The delegates elected in the caucus will go on to county conventions, where they will elect delegates to the state Democratic Convention, who will elect delegates to the national Democratic Convention scheduled for August in Denver. The caucus technically is nonbinding, meaning the delegates who are elected can decide to support a different candidate than the one they caucused for.
The Republicans also are electing delegates to go to county conventions and elect state Republican Convention delegates who will elect Republican National Convention delegates. That convention is scheduled for September in St. Paul, Minn.
But the Republicans, both here and in Iowa, elect delegates separately from voting on presidential contenders. After they choose delegates in a straightforward election process, they fill out secret ballots stating their presidential choice. The party had hoped to use voting machines, but that didn't work out and paper ballots will instead be used.
There will be seven candidates on the ballot, based on criteria approved by the state party: Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson and Duncan Hunter.
The caucus locations will collect results for all the precincts at each location, then phone the results in to Nevada Republican Party headquarters. The raw vote totals will be shown on the www.nvgopcaucus.com Web site as they come in. Republicans expect to have the votes counted by 1 p.m.
Since the delegates elected at the Republican caucus aren't necessarily committed to a candidate at all, the Republican contest is also technically nonbinding.
Despite their different formats, both contests require campaigns to organize heavily at a grass-roots level if they want to win, since candidates' supporters have to be at a certain place at a certain time.
The Republican caucus, which is a smaller-scale effort than the Democrats' and hasn't attracted as much candidate attention, hit a few snags, but party officials say the problems have been worked out.
About 20 percent of registered Republicans in Washoe County were sent postcards with the wrong caucus location because of "flawed data," Republican Caucus Director Hans Gullickson said. All those affected were sent new, corrected postcards and received a phone call, he said.
The party also decided to allow provisional voting for people who say they are registered Republicans but can't be found on a particular location's voter rolls, Gullickson said. Those ballots will be counted only after they have been verified.
"On the off-chance that somebody inadvertently goes to the wrong caucus location, we still want them to participate," he said. Such voters will have to sign an affidavit, he said.
Gullickson declined to say how many ballots were printed, which would indicate how much turnout the Republicans are expecting. "Enough to make sure everybody who attends has a ballot," he said.
Democratic turnout is expected to be larger than the Republicans' but also is a major uncertainty.
Estimates range from 30,000 to 100,000. The high end would represent 25 percent of registered Nevada Democrats, a high number even for a primary election, which is easier to participate in than a caucus. In the next couple of days, the political limelight currently on Nevada will have moved on. Campaign offices will be abandoned, staffers evacuated.
Those who have been working on the effort in Nevada for more than a year can hardly believe it's finally happening, but are happy with the results of an upstart caucus that many were reluctant to take seriously until it was suddenly at the center of the storm.
"It's turning out better than we ever hoped," said Kirsten Searer, deputy executive director of the Nevada Democratic Party. "It's clear that we are going to be critical in this process. This is a race that's too close to call, and the eyes of the world are on our state."
Romnopot calling the kettle a leftist.
*snort*
This will be interesting to watch. Don’t think it will go the way of the polls, however.
Interesting graph. We shall see.
The line is static. The building is full.
This is real time, I have to hurry back - people are backed up for blocks with no place fit into - unsure what is to happen.
But I love them for their attitude - it is cold and no one is going home until they vote.
The line is static? The building is full? Sounds like really poor planning. Hope they have enough ballots. Nevada GOP needs to get its act together.
Romney Wins at 1pm est?????
MSNBC & FOX people are mispronouncing “Nevada” today. They are pronouncing NV the way snobs do. So misinformed! Mrs. Obama got into a little trouble over it but the news elite apparently are above it all.
I wonder how the Nevada caucus goers feel about it. How would you feel?
Oh, I forgot. Nevada will probably be won by Mitt Romney so the news media are concentrating on SC today where they can uplift McCain & Huckabee.
Say, now that I think about it, Romney and Fred T have a lot in common . . . the media hate them with a passion. Interesting. Mitt and Fred must be true conservatives after all.
Fox just called NV for Romney.
Talk about a blowout...
Romney has won half of the 6 contests in this 5 man race.
CBS radio just announced Mitt the projected winner in NV.
Good for Mitt!
Any idea when the dumocrat winner will be determined?
Interesting that McCain couldn’t win in his next-door state. Guess Nevadans know him better than the folks in New Hampshire...
Already voted in Nevada. The lines were long at my Republican voting place. About twice the amount of forecasted voters showed up. The same was true in neighboring Reno where the lines were over 1/2 mile long. An unscientific observation indicates Romney will do well, at least at my polling place.
Same question from me. Isn't only like 10:00AM in Nevada?
It’s inappropriate for the news organizations to call the election while the polls are still open. Most people haven’t voted yet, and the announcement could dissuade them from going to the polls.
Bill
Lends credence to the old cliche: Vote early and vote often.
You should! It's neat to see someone who appreciates what he has.
Yah know, those cemeteries happen to be most of the largest precincts in those ghost towns....
Romney has 45% of the votes cast so far.
*
As I just posted on another thread.
Just got back from my caucus. There were only 15 people there for my precinct, the other precinct there had about 80-90 people.
Our precinct gets three delegates to the county level, the other precinct gets eight. Voting for our precinct went as follows:
Mitt Romney - 6
Mike Huckabee - 3
Ron Paul - 3
Fred Thompson - 2
Duncan Hunter - 1
I left before the count for the other precinct came in - they were still trying to choose delegates. I’m guessing the breakdown will be similar, possibly a little higher for Ron Paul and Duncan Hunter. I DO NOT like caucus’ - I want my primary back.
Well, well, well.....
What an experience. It appears we have broke the mold.
Normally the precinct meetings are held first and then everyone votes.
Last caucus there were less than 100 people there. Organizers planned for perhaps 300 tops.
As you can see from my pictures the estimates, at this time, are over 2000.
What we did is let everyone vote first and then those who can or those who wish to, can stay for the meeting.
After hours in the cold most of us voted and went home, after a little chat with our neighbors.
They are still voting as I type.
Fred got my vote, and I hope he polls well.
Did you see my pics of here in Carson?
Couldn’t agree more.
My neighbors, who have stood in the cold for hours, are still voting - seem highly unethical.
“With 617 votes cast in Nevada, Duncan Hunter is leading Rudy Giuliani by 17 to 15.”
Thanks for the update!
I picked my home for the view. We are truly blessed to be here snuggled up next to the Sierras.
Lake Tahoe is 13 miles from my door - straight up.
Bill
I LOVE that place.
You picked your home well. My congratulations again.
Just go here....wow, looks like a blowout in Nevada! With this on the news all day, I should think Mitt will get a bounce in SC!
“With Nevada being only the 4th state out of 50, I would say so.............”
1. Iowa
2. New Hampshire
3. Wyoming
-. Michigan (aren’t you leaving one out ?)
4. Nevada
odd counting method
That being said,
La. is no piker itself. My daughter was conceived in Bossier City.
And the tales I could tell of the Acme Oyster House and the Quarter.
Grew up 5 hours from NO, and learned what fine dining was all about from Brennan’s and the Court of Two Sisters
I’ve been working this morning, but took a peek just now and saw C-Span declared him the winner. Sidebar says MSNBC declared him winner also. Go Mitt!!
Mitt Romney for President, 2008!
It seems many feel the same.
The running joke in this area is that the Billionaires are buying out the Millionaires and building really nice homes on the lake.
It is a high crime to cut a tree in the Tahoe Basin.
However, the fire we had last year may loosen some of the brush cutting restrictions.
Thank you,
You are very kind.
votes
Romney 526
McCain 185
Paul 159
Huckabee 112
Thompson 116
Guiliani 40
Hunter 21
http://www.nvgopcaucus.com/results
Mitt at 46% of the vote!
Guilty,
I know there must be a way to make the pictures smaller, but every time I try to learn the Internet - my favorite bar and video poker machine whispers in my ear.
I apologize if it inconvenienced anyone.
Our precinct (never mind which, but within an hour of RNO airport) was a mess. The line was long, but we started only 25 minutes late. In response to a proposal that we amend the rules to have the vote first, and the party platform BS later, the lady in charge said “that’s the one rule they told us we can’t change.” (So much for our precinct having our own rules.)
They were very vague and confused about the delegates. They simply had a sign-up sheet, and allowed anyone who wanted to sign up as a delegate to the county convention March 1. Mostly Ron Paul supporters signed up. All the delegate volunteers went to the front of the room. We were allocated 9 delegates, but over a dozen went to the front. There was a vote by acclimation to approve us all. No one ever identified which delegate supported whom, and there was no chance to vote in favor of delegates whose views we supported. (Or against those who we opposed. (Hell if I know who will really be seated at the district). Bottom line: caucus attendees did not select the delegates who will represent them.
When it came time for the preference poll, each candidate was permitted one person to speak for 60 seconds. A Ron Paul supporter (they were visibly very organized) gave a talk that had to be cut off for time. I spoke for Fred, emphasizing the Constitution, federalism, and limited government, and noting that he is the the only who who can bring the party together, since all the front runners are fatally flawed to one segment or another, and will leave some party members staying home in November.
No one spoke for any other candidate. The adjacent precinct in the same hall had no speakers for any candidate.
The meeting concluded about 10:10
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