After all the political focus on Iowa and New Hampshire, Nevada is about to burn under the national spotlight as decisions are made and votes are cast in the first U.S. Presidential primary selection in the western part of the country.
Separate dates are set for the two major political parties with the Democrats holding their caucus on Saturday, Feb. 20 and the Republicans holding theirs on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Rules are different for each caucus.
Participants in either caucuses must be registered with the political party with which they wish to affiliate. Voters participating in the Democratic caucus can register on the day of the voting at the caucus site. Those wanting to participate with the Republican caucus must be registered with that party by Feb. 13 and bring their voter registration card with them.
Independents and those not registered with either party are out of luck.
Mesquite City Hall, 10 E. Mesquite Blvd, is the caucus site for Democrats who live in Bunkerville and Mesquite. Doors will open at 11 a.m. for registration. No one will be admitted after Noon. Voters will choose between the two major candidates running for President, Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders.
Hughes Middle School, W. Hafen Lane, will be the Republican caucus site from 5 to 9 p.m. All Republican candidates still in the race will be eligible for votes.
Democrats will choose their winner by having participants physically move to one side of the room or the other depending on whom they favor. Spokespersons will rally for their preferred candidate and numbers on each side counted at the end.
Republicans will receive a Presidential preference ballot at a central check-in desk. From there they have two choices: they can simply vote for their preferred candidate or they can vote for their candidate and fill out a delegate application form between 5 and 8:30 p.m. without going to their Precinct meeting. Ballots will be counted in each individual precinct meeting at 8:30 p.m. by the precinct captain and a three person count team. Registered Republicans can also fill out a delegate application online on the Clark County Republican Party website.
Voting will close at the end of each caucus and results announced later the same day.
