First-Hand Account: Nevada Democratic Caucus

The Northern Nevada International Center at the University of Nevada hosted sixty visitors through the International Visitor Leadership Program to observe the Nevada Caucus process for both political parties. As vice chair of the Washoe County Democratic Party (which encompasses Reno), I was able to explain the political process and exchange ideals with a dozen Middle Easterners and a Fin.

I spoke with a senior advisor on foreign policy for the Finnish parliament’s Center Party, considered to be the chief strategist for his party’s winning the election. The conversation included the rudiments of the caucus process and why a caucus rather than a primary. The short answer is party building. While a primary would probably generate more participation the day of, the caucus generates more participation throughout the year and in a sustaining capacity for the party. As an example, in 2004 there were seventeen caucus sites across the state, one per county. This year there were eighty-seven sites in just Washoe County alone. In 2004, only 1,200–1,600 Democrats participated in the caucus. This year the party had nearly 1,000 volunteers and nearly 20,000 Democrats attended!

Our visitors questioned the democracy of the process because it excluded non-partisan or other minority parties, unless they changed their voter registration. Until the non-partisan (as they are called in Nevada) or other parties build the momentum for support of other party candidates, it remains a two-party system. And the parties select their nominee, not all voters.

One inquiry included the tactics involved to turn out Democrats. The state and county party worked for more than a year planning and training, from programs for precinct captains who would facilitate the process the day of, to mock caucuses for those wanting to participate for the first time. Despite local media and the party efforts to explain the caucus, from a marketing perspective, it’s consuming just to reach voter consciousness, let alone explain the complicated Electoral College process. My friends and colleagues, many well educated and very active voters, were clueless on the purpose, process, and particulars of a caucus. Caucus was just as foreign to the majority of Nevadans as it was for our international visitors. Our visitors found that intriguing. The party relied on neighbor-to-neighbor recruitment.