Democrats to cast votes for presidential nominee at caucus

Boulder City Democrats will have a chance to weigh in on the party’s presidential nominee at the Nevada caucuses on Feb. 22.

“The caucus serves the same purpose as a primary, which is to choose which Democratic candidate for the party’s nomination is chosen to run in the general election in November,” wrote Becky Haag, chair of the Boulder City Democratic Club, in an email. “On caucus day, Feb. 22nd, participants will meet with others in their individual precincts and express their preferences.”

The local caucus will be held at noon at Boulder City High School, 1101 Fifth St. Registration begins at 10 a.m. Haag said she expects the caucus to continue until 2 p.m.

The Nevada caucuses will be the third nominating contest in the Democratic primaries for the 2020 presidential election.

“This is a two-step process in which there is a chance to make a second choice if a voter’s initial choice does not have enough support in the precinct caucus,” Haag wrote. “On the basis of the choices made, each precinct will send delegates for its preferred candidate(s) to the county convention, which will elect delegates to the state convention on up to the national convention. This is not a winner-take-all vote at the precinct level. Depending on voter preferences, more than one candidate may win delegates in a given precinct.”

Nevada is also the first state to offer early voting for the caucuses, which will be available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, at Garrett Middle School, 1200 Avenue G. Early voters will submit a preference card indicating their top three to five choices for the Democratic nomination, which will be tabulated on caucus day.

The caucuses are organized throughout the state by the Nevada Democratic Party, and the Boulder City Democratic Club is organizing the local effort.

“We are doing our utmost to assure a smooth, transparent caucus process in which all Democrats can clearly express their presidential candidate preferences,” Haag said. “We are especially pleased to be able to offer the early voting option … which should allow many more people to vote as it is quick and more flexible in terms of timing.”

The caucuses are open only to registered Democrats, but anyone who wants to participate can register or re-register with the party at any early voting or caucus site. Results will be shared online throughout the day as precincts report in.

For more information, visit http:www.nvdems.com or contact the local club at bouldercitydemocraticclub@gmail.com or 702-530-6604.

Nevada has 48 national delegates, 36 of whom will be pledged to specific candidates based on the results of the caucuses. The candidate who has the most pledged delegates is considered the Nevada winner.

The remaining 12 delegates — commonly referred to as superdelegates — are chosen based on their positions, including members of Congress and Gov. Steve Sisolak. Unlike in the previous election, these delegates will not participate in voting at the national convention if a candidate has earned at least the 1,991 pledged delegates needed to secure the nomination outright on the first ballot.

If no one reaches that threshold, a second ballot could be needed and superdelegates would be allowed to participate.

Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Rory Appleton contributed to this report.

Contact reporter Celia Shortt Goodyear at cgoodyear@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow her on Twitter @csgoodyear.