On Saturday, February 20th, Nevada and South Carolina will begin part one of two of their respective primaries and caucuses. Democrats of Nevada will be participating in their caucus, while Republicans of South Carolina will be partaking in their primary.
Nevada
According to CNN/ORC’s most recent poll of ‘Likely Democratic’ caucus goers, Nevada is split near evenly between Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Clinton holds a minor edge over Sanders, 48% to 47%. Like Iowa, Nevadans participate in a similar caucus style where voters gather at local caucus sites, such as schools, public centers, and firehouses. Participants then separate into preference groups to indicate their support and reshuffling may occur after. However, because only two candidates remain for the Democratic nomination, there may not be a ton of reshuffling. It will be interesting to see how Clinton fairs in response to her loss in New Hampshire to Senator Sanders. 43 Democratic delegates are at stake in the Nevada primary, however, 8 of those delegates are super delegates.
What You Need To Know About Nevada’s Democratic Caucuses (NPR)
When is the GOP Nevada Caucus?
Republicans will host their caucus in Nevada on Tuesday, February 23.
South Carolina
On the other side of the U.S., Republicans voters in South Carolina will participate in their primary. Like many, South Carolina’s primary is a traditional election, where the polls are open throughout the day and voters cast secret ballots. Businessman Donald Trump still maintains a lead of 5% in the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll at 28% of likely Republican primary voters. However, it is worth noting his lead is down from a 16% point margin, which he maintained a month ago. Following Cruz’s 23%, Senator Marco Rubio holds 15% and former Governor Jeb Bush upholds 13%. 50 Republican delegates are at stake in South Carolina, which is nearly as many delegates in New Hampshire and Iowa combined.
How To Win the South Carolina GOP Primary (CNN)
When is the Dem Primary in South Carolina?
Democrats will host their primary in South Carolina on next Saturday, February 26.
Stay tuned with NAfME for the results of Saturday’s caucus and primary!
Ronny Lau, Legislative Policy Advisor, Center for Advocacy, Policy, and Constituency Engagement, February 19, 2016. © National Association for Music Education (NAfME.org)
