Washington — Nevada is set to host its first-in-the-West presidential nominating contest on Tuesday. But the 2024 process features new twists with two GOP events this week — a primary and caucuses — creating an unusual scenario where the leading Republican White House hopefuls won’t directly face off in the Silver State.
While the state is set to host Democratic and Republican primaries on Tuesday , the GOP opted to hold on to the traditional caucuses, with Republican caucuses set for Thursday in addition to Tuesday’s state-run primary.
The result is a confusing process that some expect to hinder turnout, and likely lead to both former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump declaring victory in the state — though only one will walk away with its delegates.
Why is Nevada having a Republican caucus and primary?
A change to state law in 2021 by the majority-Democratic legislature, after years of dwindling attendance at caucuses, transitioned the state from party-run caucuses to government-run primaries going forward. The change came amid a series of new voting initiatives geared toward improving voter access, like expanding voting by mail, at a time when other states were placing more restrictions on voting to counteract allegations of voter fraud.