2024 Nevada GOP & Democratic Presidential Races

Both Democrats and Republicans have their eyes on the Silver State of Nevada this week...

-Nevada Democratic Primary, Feb. 6th, 49 delegates
-Nevada Republican Primary, Feb. 6th (non-binding)
-Nevada Republican Caucuses, Feb. 8th, 26 delegates allocated statewide on a proportional basis

(The Epoch Times) Nevada Voters Face Rainy Desert Weather, Odd Ballot Situation
-SPRING VALLEY, Nev.–A woman who suffers from cancer, people in wheelchairs, and from diverse ethnic groups expressed one common belief on Tuesday: They consider voting an essential American right.

Although voter turnout was reportedly fairly low statewide, voters who spoke to The Epoch Times at a polling site here said they felt it was important to come out in the atypically rainy, chilly, and gloomy weather in this desert town.

At the Desert Breeze Community Center outside Las Vegas, only 325 people had cast ballots as of 6:20 p.m. local time, 40 minutes before polls were set to close. Yet this site was one of the busiest in Clark County, online records showed. Fewer than 15,000 people had cast ballots in a county that is home to about 2.3 million residents.

None of the dozen voters who spoke to a reporter at the polling site expressed confusion over the unusual primaries-and-caucuses scenario confronting them this week. Democrats were voting in only a primary on Tuesday. But Republicans could cast ballots in the primary and then may also legally vote two days later in the caucuses, which requires a longer in-person time commitment.

The dueling primary and caucus setup for Republicans happened because the state GOP balked against a new state law mandating a primary election rather than their time-honored practice of meeting in person or caucusing. Darryl Plumleigh, 68, said he informed himself about the voting process by reading news articles. But he declined to reveal for whom he voted. “It’s the American system; we don’t do that,” Mr. Plumleigh said, referring to the American principle that one’s ballot is cast secretly.

Gladys Nova, a 53-year-old Filipina, told The Epoch Times she voted for Democrat President Joe Biden. She made that choice, in part, to signify her displeasure with the Republican frontrunner, former President Donald Trump. “Anybody but Trump,” she said, adding, “I just think he’s bad for democracy.”

She also said she voted for President Biden because she agrees with “a lot of the Democrat policies.”

A native of Canada who became a naturalized citizen, Ms. Nova said her first experience voting was in 2016. At that time, she didn’t have a party affiliation and was “looking for the best candidate.” “I wanted universal healthcare,” she said. That desire swayed her toward voting Democrat since then.

Hanbing Wang, a 57-year-old naturalized citizen who originally came from China, said he voted for “None of These Candidates” because his preferred candidate, President Trump, was not on the primary ballot. That’s because candidates had to choose whether to participate in the primary, which doesn’t count toward the Republican nomination at the GOP convention this summer.

President Trump opted to run in the caucus while his sole remaining significant contender, Nikki Haley, former United Nations ambassador, is the only major candidate listed on the Republican primary ballot. Mr. Wang said he voted for “None of These Candidates,” which has long been offered to Nevada voters because it was his way of showing support for the former president rather than Ms. Haley.

Some Nevada Republicans told The Epoch Times they were rooting for “None” to get more votes than Ms. Haley because they resented her for ignoring their state and eschewing the caucus. But Ms. Haley’s campaign said she had valid reasons for doing so; her campaign officials alleged that the caucus would unfairly tip the scales toward President Trump–a claim that GOP leaders disputed.

Mr. Wang said he became supportive of Republican policies in 1980 when he was 14 and still living in China. That’s partly why he supports President Trump. Another reason: President Trump is a well-to-do businessman, which positions him to avoid being swayed by moneyed interests, Mr. Wang said.

People who claim President Trump is a “threat to democracy” are caving to “political correctness,” Mr. Wang said. Because English is not his first language, Mr. Wang used a translator device to help him find that phrase.