LAS VEGAS — The Nevada primary is on track to feature low Election Day turnout as voters remain confused over why former President Donald Trump does not appear on the ballot and as the Democratic side features an incumbent candidate.
Only 11,802 people had voted in person on Tuesday as of 2 p.m. local time, according to the office of Nevada Secretary of State Francisco V. Aguilar.
More Democratic voters showed up to vote Tuesday, with 6,132 people casting a ballot as of 2 p.m. local time, while 5,670 Republicans voted in the primary. This figure excludes those who dropped off mail ballots.
Nevada voters are also confused as to why Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, is not on the primary ballot.
The former president is competing on Thursday’s GOP-run caucuses, while former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is on Tuesday’s GOP primary ballot. The state’s 26 delegates will be awarded based on the caucuses, which Trump is certain to win, and not the primary.
ELECTION 2024: FOLLOW LATEST COVERAGE
Voters, though, have complained over the Silver State holding two nominating contests. Maura Bivens, a Nevada Republican club member, told the Washington Examiner it was “really frustrating” to have two races.
“I caused a scene in the polling place,” Bivens continued. “I don’t think anybody knows where to go for the caucus right now.”
Ted Loud, a Trump supporter, also expressed confusion about the primary and caucuses in an interview with the Washington Examiner. “Well, I just think we have to [vote in the primary],” Loud said. “We’ve been told we almost have to in order to qualify for the second, the second round to get to the final. That’s my understanding.”
Although Haley is the only mainstream candidate on the GOP primary side, voters can still select “none of these candidates.”
Some voters unhappy with Haley are choosing that option in the primary and then voting for Trump on Thursday, as Nevada law allows voting in both the primary and the caucuses.
Daniel Braisted said he is “doing both” in an interview with the Washington Examiner. “I’ll go to the caucus and turn in none of the above today,” he said, “just to make a statement” on the primary vote.
Should Haley win the primary, it will only be regarded as a symbolic victory as she will not win any of the state’s delegates. However, Haley has focused her primary attention on South Carolina’s Feb. 24 primary.
President Joe Biden is competing in the Nevada Democratic primary Tuesday against challenger Marianne Williamson and 11 other candidates. He will likely trounce the field after a commanding win during Saturday’s South Carolina Democratic primary. He won 96% of the vote, far above Williamson and Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), who is ineligible to appear in the Nevada primary.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Nevada’s secretary of state’s office also reported that 60.8% of the 23,692 early voters were Democrats and 39.2% were Republicans. Nevada has about 2.3 million registered voters.
The primary contests seemed a low-key affair in Las Vegas compared to the preparations underway for the Super Bowl this Sunday and the buzz around Taylor Swift’s possible attendance to see her boyfriend Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.
