Caucuses only time for input on nominee

It will be a year before Douglas County residents vote in the general election but preparations for what has already been a long political season are under way.

On Monday and Tuesday, Douglas Republicans are meeting in preparation for the Jan. 19 presidential caucus. Democrats have been holding their meetings over the past few months.

In Nevada, presidential nominees do not appear on the ballot. They are selected through a series of meetings, starting at the precinct level.

The Jan. 19 caucus meeting will be the only opportunity members of the two major parties will have input on who they would like as their party's nominee.

And with Nevada's caucus among the first in the nation, a victory here could mean good things for a candidate who might otherwise be left behind in New Hampshire or Iowa.

The caucus will determine delegates for each candidate and elect representatives to the county convention. At the county convention, delegates to the state convention will be selected and any chance for the rank and file to influence who will run as their party's candidate will be gone.

We anticipate there will be a lot of interest among both Republicans and Democrats in the presidential race.

Both parties' officials should be prepared for an influx of new participants, who might not have shown so much interest when the caucus was in the middle of the race.