Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Nevada caucus resolution conflicts with New Hampshire statute

UPDATE: NH SOS tells "Face to Face" that he considers it a violation for Nevada to go four days after New Hampshire. he is coming on the program tonight to discuss it.

Here are some possibilities, as one insider laid it out:

"If the NV GOP is concerned about how Gardner would interpret the 7-day similar contest law, they could readily move their caucuses to a Tuesday evening -- like Jan. 17th which would then allow NH to go on the 10th and Iowa on the 3rd.

"If they attempt to move to the 14th - they could force NH to the 3rd and Iowa into late December."

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The state GOP's vote Saturday to move with New Hampshire instead of staying behind Florida could cause a problem with a New Hampshire statute that creates a seven-day window between events. Nevada wants to go the Saturday after New Hampshire, which is only five days.

Here's the conflict:

New Hampshire's law says:

State of New Hamsphire Revised Statutes, TITLE LXIII, Chapter 653 +

653:9 Presidential Primary Election. – The presidential primary election shall be held on the second Tuesday in March or on a Tuesday selected by the secretary of state which is 7 days or more immediately preceding the date on which any other state shall hold a similar election, whichever is earlier, of each year when a president of the United States is to be elected or the year previous.

Here's what the Nevada resolution vis a vis New Hampshire says:

Precinct Convention/Caucus Date

Section 1 - Caucus Date

The Nevada Republican Central Committee Executive Board voted to bind Nevada's caucus date to the Saturday following the New Hampshire primary election.

Considering New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner is something akin to the Grand Pooh Bah of presidential nominating events, this could be a problem -- one that could, I suppose, be solved if Nevada moves a couple of days forward after the calendar shakes out.

One knowledgeable DC insider told me over the weekend via email that he believes Nevada should have gone after Florida: "The NV caucuses are destined to get ignored where they are right now... It's a bigger risk to try and become relevant in between NH and SC with FL around... Time zone and travel"

He has a point. But let's hope he's wrong.

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