Voters in Las Vegas faced brisk and rainy weather Tuesday as they made their way to the polls in the state’s first-ever presidential preference primary.
There polls weren’t buzzing with normal Election Day activity, however.
That’s because President Joe Biden was a runaway favorite in the Democratic primary, and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley has the only viable campaign in the Republican primary.
Still, the voters who showed up were passionate about taking part of the process.
“If you don’t exercise the right to vote, you lose it,” said Las Vegas resident Ed Cox, who cast his ballot Tuesday at the Desert Breeze Community Center in Spring Valley. “It’s not perfect, but this is how you make democracy better. If you don’t vote, you can’t make it better.”
Cox, a Democrat, said that while Biden isn’t his ideal candidate, the president has delivered on some campaign promises and is better than the Republican front-runner, former President Donald Trump.
“I’ve been disappointed in a lot of things Biden has done, but I will not go back to that other guy,” Cox said of Trump. “He’s a bully.”
Biden is the heavy favorite to become the Democratic nominee but faced primary competition from candidates like spiritualist Marianne Williamson, entrepreneur Jason Palmer and others.
Even though it’s likely Biden will carry Nevada, Las Vegas voter Michelle Williams said it was still important to come and show support for the president.
“I’m a Democrat, and I want to make sure that even though it’s unlikely that Joe Biden has serious competition in the election, that I come out and make sure that people know we’re still behind him,” Williams said.
Statewide results won’t be finalized until 10 days after the election, when county commissioners across Nevada’s 17 counties convene to canvas the vote. More than 93,000 Democratic votes have been cast already through the early voting period, which ended Friday.
Republicans, meanwhile, entered Tuesday having already cast more than 57,000 ballots.
Those voting in the Republican primary, however, won’t have their voice heard in a candidate earning delegate from Nevada for the Republican National Convention July 15-18 in Milwaukee.
That’s because the Nevada Republican Party on Thursday is hosting its self-operated caucuses and using the result to determine delegates. Party rules dictate candidates can’t participate in both the primary and caucus, meaning Trump is running against long shot contender Ryan Binkley, a Texas businessman. Nevadans, because of the Republicans insisting on running a caucus, won’t get to pick between Haley and Trump.
Republican voters, however, are able to vote in both nominating contests.
Las Vegans Barbara and Michael Baker said while leaving the Desert Breeze Community Center they voted in the Republican primary for “none of these candidates” as a sign of support for Trump.
“We plan on Trump winning this election so we can get our country back,” Barbara Baker said. “I want law and order. I want the (U.S. southern) border shut down.”
Haley campaign manager Betsy Ankney said the campaign decided not to pay the $55,000 entry fee to participate in a caucus that was “rigged” for Trump. Rather, Haley has spent recent weeks campaigning in the next GOP nominating contest in her home state of South Carolina, according to The Hill.
“We have not spent a dime nor an ounce of energy on Nevada,” Ankney said.
Other Trump supporters have signaled they will caucus for the former president and vote for “none of these candidates,” in the primary. Republican notables like Gov. Joe Lombardo and Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony have said that is how they are voting.
The presidential primary is the first of three statewide races being administered by the state this year.
This election is solely for presidential contenders, while the June 11 primary will determine Democrat and Republican candidates for U.S. House, U.S. Senate and the state Legislature. The general election is Nov. 5.
For some people, today marked the beginning of their tracking of the 2024 election cycle and the angst that comes with the lead-up to the November election.
For others, this year’s elections have the feeling of the 2016 elections, when Trump, then a political newcomer, upset Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen this November,” said Chantelle Uzan, a 33-year-old Democratic voter. “The last time Trump was running for office [in 2016], everybody thought it was a shoo-in that a Democrat would win and they didn’t. And I think people get too comfortable.”
“If they really want to see change, they need to go out there and they need to mobilize,” she said.
Cassandra Cotton, a health care worker who voted Tuesday at Cambridge Recreation Center near the Strip, said she was concerned with inflation and the rising cost of rent. She said she voted for Biden.
She’s urging candidates to spend more time addressing the mental health needs of residents. She also promises to be an informed voter by researching all candidates on the general election ballot.
“I focus on the issues,” she said. “And so I do a lot of research in that regard.”
The Sun’s Emma Brocato contributed to this story.