Why Donald Trump Won Nevada Before Any Votes Were Cast

Nevada is doing things differently this year. Or at least, it tried to.

The first presidential nominating contest in the west takes place on Tuesday — and on Thursday.

But that’s not what state officials were hoping would happen when they decided to move from a caucus to a primary in 2021.

Democrats got on board — and President Biden is expected to win that contest handily on Tuesday. On the Republican side, however, things did not go according to plan.

A caucus was seen as being beneficial to former President Donald J. Trump, so state party officials — who were aggressively lobbied by the Trump campaign — decided to hold a caucus anyway. The caucus, not the primary, is what will determine which Republican candidate wins Nevada’s delegates.

Nikki Haley, the last remaining significant challenger to Mr. Trump, opted to run in the primary, not the caucus.

So Mr. Trump is effectively in a caucus without a real opponent. And his win is a foregone conclusion.

Confused? You’re not alone.

Today, with our colleague Jennifer Medina, we travel to East Las Vegas to talk to voters about what makes their state so critical — and so confounding — to Republicans and Democrats alike.

Do you have a question about the 2024 election? We want to hear from you. Fill out this form or email us a voice memo at therunup@nytimes.com

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