Feb 24, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Nevada Democratic Party says it will look to move away from caucus system

Ursula Perano

A caucus math poster — Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Nevada State Democratic Party chair William McCurdy II said in a statement Monday that the party will look to move to a primary system in future elections instead of caucuses.

Why it matters: Caucus systems for voting have come under increased scrutiny after the Iowa Democratic caucuses were plagued by software errors and inconsistencies in the results, culminating in the resignation of the state party's chair. Nevada's caucuses on Saturday were comparatively successful, but still faced some questions about the accuracy of the results.

What they're saying: McCurdy praised the thousands of volunteers who participated on Saturday, but said that it's time to discuss "the limitations of the caucus process and the rules around it."

"If our goal is to bring as many Nevada Democrats as possible into the fold to select our presidential nominee, it's time for our State Party and elected leaders to look at shifting to a primary process moving forward."

The big picture: Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), the functional head of the Nevada Democrats, said Sunday that "it's time for the Democratic Party to move to primaries everywhere." He also called for Nevada to replace Iowa going forward as the first state to vote in the Democratic primary.

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Nevada Democratic Party says it will look to move away from caucus system

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