Nevada has its presidential primaries, but Trump is not on the ballot

(CNN) — President Joe Biden is on track to win more delegates in the Nevada presidential primary this Tuesday, another step on the road to the Democratic nomination. However, former President Donald Trump will have to wait until Thursday, when the state Republican Party holds its caucus.

Although Tuesday will be the GOP primary, Republicans have chosen to award their delegates through caucuses, in a combination of instances that has caused some confusion among Nevada voters.

What is clear, however, is that Biden and Trump face only marginal opposition, and both are expected to end the weekend winning delegates at their party conventions in Nevada.

In Biden’s case, Tuesday’s primary comes three days after he scored his first official victory in the 2024 presidential race in the South Carolina primary.

The Nevada primary is now the second on the Democratic calendar after the party decided to postpone Iowa and New Hampshire., The change is intended to ensure that diverse voters have weight early in the battle for the Democrats’ presidential nomination.

In the Democratic primary, Biden faces nominal opposition from a dozen candidates, including author Marianne Williamson.

Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, the president’s other prominent Democratic challenger, is not on the ballot, having filed after the Oct. 16 filing deadline. Biden spent Sunday in Las Vegas, where he told rally attendees that he would “make Donald Trump a loser again.”

He also emphasized his administration’s economic efforts, saying he knows “there’s a lot more to do,” in a preview of how he might talk about the still-shaking economy during the general election.

“Not everyone is feeling the benefits of our investments and progress yet, but inflation is now lower in the United States than in any other major economy in the world,” Biden said.

Republicans, for their part, are ignoring the potential outcome of Tuesday’s primaries, which are being held without Trump on the ballot. Instead, the state Republican Party chose to award its delegates to the winner of Thursday night’s caucus.

The fragmented process is the result of a 2021 state law that eliminated Nevada’s presidential caucus in favor of a state-run primary.

Supporters said the measure would be less burdensome and less confusing for voters. However, the Nevada Republican Party, led by Trump loyalists, chose to hold a caucus this year anyway and award the state’s delegates to the Republican National Convention based on those results. He also warned candidates participating in the primaries that they would not be eligible for the caucus or to receive any delegates. However, several Republican presidential hopefuls ran in the primaries, including former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. Trump is now the last major contender remaining in Thursday’s caucuses, effectively guaranteeing his victory.

“Your state has primaries and caucuses. Don’t worry about the primaries, just talk about the caucuses,” Trump told attendees at a recent rally in Las Vegas.

CNN’s Donald Judd, Priscilla Alvarez and Ethan Cohen contributed to this report.