CCSD sites for Nevada GOP caucus not yet approved

The Clark County Republican Party has 50 planned caucus locations within the county — 37 of which are schools — to use as precinct locations for the upcoming Republican presidential caucus.

A district spokesperson said that while a number of Clark County schools have received requests to use the facilities on Feb. 8, none of the requests had been approved as of Thursday afternoon. Some of the requests have been declined, the spokesperson said in an email.

Republican party leaders planning the caucus, however, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the school district was waiting for the party’s insurance certificates, which were delivered to the school district Thursday morning, and that all caucus sites listed on the Nevada Republican Party’s site have been confirmed and paid for.

“I’m pleased with where we’re at,” said Jesse Law, chairman of the Clark County Republican Party. “It was a paperwork thing. … It was just a comedy of errors on timing.”

Nevada Republican Party Chairman Michael McDonald echoed Law’s sentiments and said he is not worried. Some district locations couldn’t be used because of a basketball game or cheerleading competition, McDonald said, but he was told by others planning the caucus that the school district has been great to work with.

The district did not return the Review-Journal’s requests to confirm that it had received the certificates.

Requests for use of school facilities are subject to the district’s Guidelines for Facility Usage by Non-School Groups.

The guidelines state that the group requesting to use the facilities must apply at least 30 days before the event and must provide an original certificate of insurance and a description of the activity. The school district also gives priority to school events, so groups applying to use the facilities should be aware of the possibility of cancellation if a need arises for a school activity or program, the guidelines state.

Law said that besides schools, private businesses and churches have helped and agreed to serve as caucus locations.

“We have everybody helping us to be successful,” he said. “I think our voters are going to have a good experience being able to cast their vote this way.”

The Nevada Republican Party — led by a friend of former President Donald Trump’s and an elector who submitted false documents declaring Trump the winner of Nevada in 2020 — decided to hold a presidential caucus to determine which candidates will receive delegates to go to the national convention.

The caucus, which will be held two days after the state runs its legally mandated presidential primary for both major parties, has been criticized for stirring confusion in the electorate and for favoring Trump. For the Republican leaders behind the move, it is a way to keep the tradition of caucusing in place while also implementing procedures they deem to be more secure, such as requiring voter ID and using paper ballots.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.