US Prez poll 2016: Facts to know about Nevada & its Democratic Caucus

Updated: Saturday, February 20, 2016, 23:44 [IST]

Carson City (Nevada), Feb 20: The Democratic caucus in the race for the nomination of the US presidential election this year will be held today (February 20).

[5 things to know about Nevada Democratic Caucus]

[US presidential elections 2016: 5 questions on South Carolina Republican Primary, Nevada Democratic Caucus]

[Complete schedule of US presidential elections 2016 primary, caucus schedules]

[What are primaries and how are they different from caucuses?]

[Trump, Sanders win New Hampshire primaries]

Here are some facts to know about the state and the caucus:

About Nevada: Nevada is located in teh Southwestern region of the US and is the seventh largest state of the country and the 35th most populous one. The state is known as "Silver State" and "Battle Born State" since it won statehood during the Civil War. The landlocked state has Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast and Utah to the east.

The capital of Nevada is Carson City though the largest city is Las Vegas. Republican Brian Sandoval is the current Governor of Nevada.

Facts about the caucus:

Timing: The Democratic caucus will be held at 11 am Pacific Standard Time (12.30 am IST on Sunday). The Republican caucus will be held on Tuesday, February 23.

Delegates: While the Democrats have 43 delegates at stake, the Republicans have 30 delegates. Hillary Clinton has reportedly clinched three of the state's eight superdelegates.

Who's leading: While Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have a close contest for the Democrats, Donald Trump has a big lead over the rest of the five Republican candidates, according to latest polls. Limited polling in the state can create surprises, say experts.

Issues: Economy and the Latino vote-bank are the main issues in Nevada. The state was hit by the meltdown and unemployment is high.

Primary records: Hillary won here in 2008 whle Mitt Romney won in 2012 and 2008. Questions have been made on Nevada losing its "first in the West" status because of low voter turnout in the recent caucuses. While the Republicans have expressed their unhappiness with the low voter turnout, the Democrats believe that the state should continue to have its current caucus schedules saying it is the most diverse state that goes to the polls early.

Oneindia News