Nevada Caucuses 2020: Sen. Bernie Sanders Pulls Ahead In Nevada

For continued updates, please see NPR's special coverage.

6:00 p.m. PST | Feb. 22, 2020
Closing Remarks By The Associated Press

Bernie Sanders has scored a resounding victory in Nevada's presidential caucuses. His win on Saturday cements his status as the Democrats' national front-runner, though it's also escalating tensions over whether he's too liberal to defeat President Donald Trump. The 78-year-old Vermont senator successfully rallied his loyal base and tapped into support from Nevada's large Latino community as the Democratic contest moved for the first time into a state with a significant minority population. The party's more-establishment-minded members have been unable so far to unite behind Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden or Amy Klobuchar, helping Sanders pull away.

4:26 p.m. PST | Feb. 22, 2020
Results From Pyramid Lake High School

KUNR’s Noah Glick spent the afternoon reporting from Pyramid Lake High School.

Things wrapped up @plpt #NevadaCaucus site. Three of eight precincts had voters show up in person. All in all, pretty quick and smooth process, although voters say the state Dem party drew up precincts in a way that split the tribal community.
— Noah Glick 🤦‍♂️ (@imnoahglick) February 22, 2020

Delegates were awarded mainly to Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Only three of eight precincts had participants on caucus day. However, there are “five ghost” precincts that could still award delegates, if eligible voters participated during early caucusing.

Many participants commented on how the Nevada State Democratic Party determined the precinct lines, which divided the tribal land and redirected some community members to caucus sites farther away off reservation.

But, the tone and feeling in the room were positive and hopeful, even if turnout was low. Less than 20 community members came out for the in-person caucus on Saturday.

4:16 p.m. PST | Feb. 22, 2020
Results From Eagle Valley Middle School

As caucusing wraps up in Carson City, KUNR's Bree Zender provided an update from Eagle Valley Middle School, where she was on-site throughout the day.

Delegates were awarded to Sen. Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

When determining which candidates were viable during the first round, one of ten precincts experienced issues, due to a miscount. “It was unclear who was viable through the first round, which caused issues in the second,” Zender explained.

Although delegates have been awarded, many early voters did not provide a second alignment — the candidate they would like to vote for, in the event their first selection was not viable on Caucus Day — which caused the final count to drop slightly.

2:59 p.m. PST | Feb. 22, 2020
Results From The University Of Nevada, Reno’s Precincts

Select participants of the University of Nevada, Reno caucus site raise their hands to be counted. — Credit Lucia Starbuck / KUNR Public Radio

A classroom, located in the Jot Travis Building, served as the designated caucus site at the University of Nevada, Reno.

The site was mostly made up of young voters, ranging from 18 to 24 years old. Of the seven precincts, Sen. Bernie Sanders was viable in all seven precincts, Sen. Elizabeth Warren in two, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar in one.

In comparison to the 2016 caucus held on the UNR campus, many participants told our reporter, Lucia Starbuck, they were please with how smoothly the caucus went. Many voters commented on the caucus’s quick pace and shorter queues.

Lucia Starbuck was on-site at the University of Nevada, Reno throughout the course of today’s caucuses. Follow Lucia on twitter at @luciastarbuck.

1:34 p.m. PST | Feb. 22, 2020
Update From The First Precinct At Pyramid Lake High School

And just like that, the first precinct is done here @plpt. The winner? Bernie Sanders.
— Noah Glick 🤦‍♂️ (@imnoahglick) February 22, 2020

The first precinct of eight at Pyramid Lake High School has awarded a delegate to Sanders.

Prior to the start of today’s caucus, Noah Glick spoke to Mervin Wright, a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, and a supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Mervin Wright stands in an entry way to a caucus site — Credit Noah Glick / KUNR Public Radio

Wright expressed the importance of having a caucus site on the reservation and how it’s aided the tribe in encouraging more people to vote.

12:14 p.m. PST | Feb. 22, 2020
'Caucuses Are Officially Underway!'

12:05 p.m. PST | Feb. 22, 2020
Registration At Hug High School For 13 Precincts

Participants at Hug High School stand in the gymnasium ahead of the caucus start time. — Credit Stephanie Serrano / KUNR Public Radio

Hug High School has a total of 13 precincts scattered across its campus today. For the first hour of registration, the line for first-time voters was consistently long.

Outside of the entrance to the caucus site, volunteers from the Warren and Sanders campaigns handed out buttons, stickers and snacks to participants.

Stephanie Serrano will be on-site at Hug High School throughout the course of today’s caucuses. Follow Stephanie on twitter at @Serrano___.

11:22 a.m. PST | Feb. 22, 2020
'I Just Want To Be Able To See What’s Going On.'

Bree Zender will be on-site at Eagle Valley Middle School throughout the course of today’s caucuses. Follow Bree on twitter at @breezender.

11:12 a.m. PST | Feb. 22, 2020
Pyramid Lake High School Is Hosting Eight Caucuses

Exterior of Pyramid Lake High School — Credit Noah Glick / KUNR Public Radio

Pyramid Lake High School is hosting eight caucuses with eight associated precincts. 

 There are five “ghost precincts,” meaning these areas have very few eligible participants. If only one eligible voter attends a ghost precinct, their individual vote will determine the delegate. If no one attends these ghost precincts, the delegate is discarded.

Noah Glick will be on-site at Pyramid Lake High School throughout the course of today’s caucuses. Follow Noah on twitter at @imnoahglick, or for continued reading, view his recent story Tribal Vote Could Make Impact On Nevada's Caucus.

10:33 a.m. PST | Feb. 22, 2020
'Caucus Goers Will Be Able To Register To Vote On Site Today'

9:40 a.m. PST | Feb. 22, 2020
Welcome To Our Northern Nevada Coverage!

Megaphone exclaiming Nevada Caucus. Silhouettes of people drawn toward the shape of Nevada. The American flag is placed behind this scene. — Illustration By Stephanie Serrano / KUNR Public Radio

After a series of visits from Democratic presidential hopefuls over the last few weeks, today's the day: the 2020 Nevada caucuses.

Doors will soon open at 10 a.m. PST for voters to register at their designated precinct. The caucuses will begin promptly at noon.

Our newsroom will be out in the field, visiting various precincts across Northern Nevada, and will provide updates on-air and online throughout the afternoon.

Join us at 2 p.m. PST for live coverage and an in-depth analysis of today's caucuses. Find your frequency to listen on-air, or stream today's programs right here at KUNR.org.

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