NEVADA: The Nevada Republican primary occurring on Tuesday, former President Donald Trump won’t be listed on the ballots due to a dispute between state authorities and the local Republican party.
Instead, Trump will participate in a separate caucus on Thursday, the only process recognized by Nevada’s GOP as valid.
Nikki Haley, his sole remaining rival, will contest Tuesday’s primary without significant competition, ensuring a victory but without any associated rewards.
Despite Trump’s absence from Tuesday’s primary, he is poised to secure another 26 delegates for the Republican convention in July when the caucus votes are tallied.
The peculiar circumstances of both a primary and a separate caucus, with results predetermined and known in advance, have contributed to a lack of public attention to the process.
Peter Loge of George Washington University noted, “It really doesn’t matter what happens… because people aren’t paying that much attention.” The confusion surrounding the dual processes, coupled with the prominence of the Super Bowl, one of the year’s most-watched TV events, further diminishes the Nevada primary’s visibility.
Both Democrats and Republicans in Nevada used to hold caucuses to choose their preferred presidential candidates. However, in 2021, legislators mandated primaries, allowing mail-in voting and absentee ballots. This shift, disliked by the state’s Trump-supporting Republican Party, emphasizes in-person voting as the only means to safeguard the ballot’s sanctity.
Daniel Lee of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, highlighted that the caucus format tends to benefit Trump, attracting fervent and enthusiastic supporters. Haley’s campaign manager has criticized the Nevada process as “rigged for Trump,” echoing sentiments expressed by some Republican voters who feel disenfranchised by their own party.
Results for the Republican primary and Democratic vote, predicted to favor President Joe Biden, are expected around 7:00 pm local time on Tuesday. Nevada’s Republican Party website states that caucus results will be announced on Thursday, concluding the presidential primary process in the state.
