Low turnout expected at Nevada caucuses on Saturday

What if they gave a caucus and nobody came?

Nevada’s Democratic and Republican parties this Saturday launch the 2014 political season by holding precinct caucuses across the state.

With no presidential election this year and no U.S. Senate race on the ballot to lure participants, the meetings are expected to be low-attendance affairs involving the most active members of the parties, although all registered voters are invited.

“It’s very hard to get people to pay attention in a nonpresidential year,” said Chris Miller, chairman of the Clark County Democratic Party. “Obviously, you don’t have the media attention like you do with a presidential-year caucus.”

In 2008, when Nevada won the right to hold one of the nation’s first presidential votes — after the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary — the Democratic precinct meetings and eventual state caucuses were standing-room-only events with party members spilling out the doors.

The titanic battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party nomination in Nevada brought 100,000 new Democrats into the process.

On the Republican side, things were much tamer and the 2008 state GOP caucus didn’t make big headlines because South Carolina held its GOP primary on the same day. Only Republican Mitt Romney campaigned hard in Nevada, winning the state.

The 2012 precinct meetings on the Republican side were more animated because of the battle for the GOP nomination to win the right to oppose President Barack Obama, who won re-election against Romney, winner of the Nevada GOP caucus.

In 2014, the focus is on competitive congressional races, statewide offices up for grabs, legislative and local races as well as judicial contests with dozens vying for the bench.

“For me in particular, I care more about what’s going on locally,” said Nick Phillips, political director of the Clark County Republican Party. “I can change things locally much more easily than nationally. Las Vegas politicians are somewhat accessible.”

Indeed, many incumbents and their challengers are expected to briefly address various precinct meetings, giving candidates a chance to appeal directly for support in the June 10 primary. The general election is Nov. 4.

In the most competitive congressional race, candidate Erin Bilbray, a Democrat, is hoping to visit several precinct meetings. She’s hoping to defeat U.S. Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., who has held the 3rd Congressional District seat for two terms.

“The caucuses are an important part of Nevada politics and the real core of our success will come by engaging the support of our voters from the most local level,” Bilbray said.

Heck, an Army reservist, has military duty Thursday through Monday and will miss the GOP meetings.

U.S. Reps. Dina Titus and Steven Horsford also are expected at the Democratic meetings.

In one of the most competitive statewide races, Republican lieutenant governor candidates Sue Lowden and Mark Hutchison also plan to participate in the GOP precinct meetings.

In fact, Lowden, a former Nevada Republican Party chairwoman, will be the site manager for her precinct meeting at Centennial High School — which also is Hutchison’s precinct site. It’s unclear if Lowden will be able to attend other meetings to make her case for election. Hutchison plans to visit several other precinct sites as well.

The main purpose of the neighborhood political get-togethers across the state is to elect delegates to county conventions, which will elect delegates to the state conventions, where the parties will approve platforms for election-year issues.

The Nevada Republican Party has added a new, much-debated twist this year, moving to endorse candidates ahead of the June 10 primary. GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval and other top Republican politicians are boycotting the endorsement process, however, which could lessen the impact of the state party’s seal of approval for chosen contenders.

The GOP Central Committee must approve any endorsements at the state’s convention April 12-13 in Las Vegas after the body put off any decisions during a meeting Saturday in Fallon.

Also, the GOP plans at its state convention at the South Point hotel-casino to hold a presidential preference poll two years ahead of the 2016 White House contest to drum up excitement for the off-year political meeting.

“Nevada is proud to host the ‘First in the West’ Caucus in early 2016, and with the presidential preference poll at our convention we’re continuing our role as a leader in grassroots empowerment in the Republican Party,” state party Chairman Michael McDonald wrote last week in a letter to party members announcing the survey.

“I encourage all Nevada Republicans to go to your precinct meetings, get involved and participate, including taking the opportunity to become a county convention delegate and possibly a delegate to the state convention where this vote will take place,” he added.

On Saturday, Democrats across the state will begin caucus meetings at 10 a.m.

In Clark County, there will be nine Democratic sites: seven coincide with County Commission districts, one will be in the Moapa-Overton area and another will be in Laughlin.

Registered voters must attend the meeting in their own precincts.

If you don’t know which of the commission districts you live in, you can find out by going to the Clark County Election Department link — http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/VOTE — and typing in your name and birth date.

For information on the caucus sites go to http://www.clarkdems.com. Or you can email the county party at info@clarkdems.com.

After Democratic delegates for each precinct are voted in on Saturday, they’ll be eligible to attend the May 3 Clark County Democratic Convention to vote for delegates to the state convention, which will be held on June 21 in Reno.

The party, in urging Nevada Democrats to participate in the process, said its goal is to dominate the state, which now leans Democratic but is still a battle­ground.

“We are gearing up for the 2014 election and need your help to make Clark County and Nevada blue, one neighborhood at a time,” the Clark County Democratic Party said on its website.

The Washoe County Democratic Party was blunter in an email about the event: “Republican voters are hoping these voters stay home in 2014: women, Latino, African-American, young. Let’s dis­appoint the GOP!”

The Clark County GOP plans to hold its precinct meetings at various times — starting mostly at 9 a.m., 11 a.m. or 1 p.m., although one begins at 6 p.m.

The meetings will be held at 13 different locations, including five larger gatherings inside schools.

Registered Republicans must attend the meeting in their local precinct. To find out where, go to http://www.clarkgop.org/precinct-rsvp.htm and type in your name and birth date. The general link for the county party is: http://www.clarkgop.org.

For questions, people can email frontdesk@clarkgop.org to get an answer from party officials.

The Clark County GOP Convention is March 29. The state GOP convention is April 12-13 in Las Vegas.

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