The deadline has passed for a bill that would have allowed political parties to scrap Nevada’s presidential caucus system in favor of a secret-ballot primary. The Nevada State Assembly failed to bring the bill to a vote before midnight, the end of the 2015 legislative session.
One reason Nevada lawmakers may have passed on bringing the bill forward is that the state would have to cover the costs of each primary, estimated to cost at least $500,000 for a one-party primary.
Unlike a presidential primary, which involves a secret ballot cast at a polling place, Nevada’s caucus system requires voters to gather at party-specific precincts to choose delegates that represent their preferred presidential candidate at a convention. The candidate with the most delegates at the convention wins.
The system helped former Texas Rep. Ron Paul win most of the delegates at the Nevada GOP convention despite finishing in third place with 19 percent of the vote in 2012. Paul’s son, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, may benefit most of all declared presidential candidates from the Nevada legislature’s inaction. His father’s loyal community of activists in Nevada looks ready to help Sen. Paul replicate his dad’s success.
Several presidential contenders have already visited Nevada, the first nominating contest out west. Both former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio visited Nevada in May, as did Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Bush has held multiple town-hall meetings in Nevada and met with Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, whose proposal for the state’s largest-ever tax hike passed the Assembly on Monday. Several presidential candidates, including Bush, may lessen their focus on Nevada as a result of the Assembly’s decision.
