Nevada Democratic presidential primary kicks off Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know
Nevada is hosting Democratic and Republican primaries on Tuesday, a different format from what the state has done in the past.
The state will hold a caucus and primary because Nevada law requires the state to have a primary election, but Republicans in Nevada voted to host their own caucus on Feb. 8 to distribute delegates.
Coming off his Feb. 3 win in the South Carolina Democratic primary, President Joe Biden seeks to carry that momentum into the Nevada Democratic primary. Biden faces author Marianne Williamson and 11 other candidates with the state’s 36 delegates on the line.
Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump is competing in the caucuses, which will award 26 delegates, against Ryan Binkley, a pastor. Nikki Haley is not on the caucus ballot.
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Voting polls close at 7 p.m. local time (10 p.m. ET.) for the Democratic and Republican presidential primaries.
President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event at Montgomery County Community College January 5, 2024 in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The Republican caucuses will be held on Feb. 8. Caucus hours are 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. local time (8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. ET).
Early voting started in Nevada a week ago, a state with a rural-urban divide of more than 88% of active registered voters in the two most populous counties, including the Las Vegas and Reno metro areas, the Associated Press reported.
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While Biden came to Nevada to inspire voters for the 2024 presidential election, some experts believe the president has his work ahead of him this election cycle as he seeks reelection because voters are frustrated with a probable rematch between Biden and Trump.
Citing a New York Times/Siena poll from last year, the AP reported that Biden’s approval rating was only 36% in Nevada.
In the primaries, Nevada law requires all elections for president and statewide offices to provide an option to vote for "None of these candidates."
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Nevada holds a one-week in-person early voting period, but registered voters in the state receive a primary ballot by mail, unless they choose not to.
Moreover, Republican caucuses hold voting in person at the caucus site on caucus day, but exceptions are made for active-duty military voters.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.