Clark County GOP sets after-sundown caucus for religious groups

The Clark County Republican Party announced Monday that it will hold a special GOP presidential caucus after sundown on Feb. 4 for Jews and members of other faiths that consider the day sacred. The evening meeting is scheduled to be on the same Saturday as daytime caucuses for all other Republicans in the county and Nevada.

The decision means the final results of the GOP caucus in Nevada's largest county won't be released until after the post-sundown meeting is over, delaying the news about who won the Silver State.

Most Clark County Republicans will caucus starting at 9 a.m., probably finishing the meetings within a few hours after voting for their presidential favorites and electing delegates to the county convention. The presidential poll will determine who won the most support and delegates.

The after-sundown caucus is scheduled to open its doors at 6 p.m. to register Jews, Seventh-day Adventists and others whose religion prevents them from meeting during the day. The caucus will start at 7 p.m., allowing participants to vote for their presidential preference but not elect delegates.

The special party meeting with be held at the Adelson Educational Campus, a private school in Summerlin named for Sands Corps. Chairman Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam. The Jewish casino mogul pushed for the post-sundown caucus. He is a big money backer of GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, the rising conservative threat to Mitt Romney, who is considered the favorite to win Nevada. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas also has an aggressive campaign organization here.

"The Republican Party is making every effort possible to provide an opportunity for those of all religious beliefs to participate in the caucus during this crucial election year," said Dave Gibbs, chair of the county party. "It is our responsibility to encourage as much participation as possible in this process."

The Clark County GOP decision was made over the weekend by party leaders. It aligns with the state GOP's proposal to allow an at-large caucus after sundown on Feb. 4 for religious observers. Previously, the county had suggested holding a Feb. 2 caucus for the faithful, but state GOP leaders and most of the presidential campaigns weren't happy holding a special caucus on a different day.

On Feb. 4, Nevada Republican Party leaders are considering releasing "rolling updates" of caucus results from each of Nevada's 17 counties as precinct totals are reported to the state party. But the full results of the Feb. 4 caucuses to determine who won Nevada by getting the most votes in the presidential preference poll won't be available until after Clark County reports.

Contact reporter Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919. Follow @lmyerslvrj on Twitter.