Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.

Presidential election in Nevada, 2016

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Nevada
2020 →
Presidential Elections-2016-badge.png
Choose a different state
General election in Nevada
  Date: November 8, 2016
2016 winner: Hillary Clinton
Electoral votes: 6
2012 winner: Barack Obama (D)
Democratic caucuses
  Date: February 20, 2016
Winner: Hillary Clinton
Republican caucuses
  Date: February 23, 2016
Winner: Donald Trump
Down ballot races in Nevada
  U.S. Senate
U.S. House
Nevada State Senate
Nevada judicial elections
Nevada local judicial elections
State ballot measures
School boards
Municipal elections
Click here for more elections in Nevada
Have you subscribed yet?

Join the hundreds of thousands of readers trusting Ballotpedia to keep them up to date with the latest political news. Sign up for the Daily Brew.
Click here to learn more.


See also: Presidential battleground states, 2016

Nevada held an election for the president of the United States on November 8, 2016. The Democratic Party held its caucuses on February 20, 2016.[1] The Republican caucuses took place on February 23, 2016.[2] Nevada was considered a key battleground state in the 2016 general election.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Hillary Clinton won Nevada in the general election.
  • In 2016, Nevada had six electoral votes, which was 1.1 percent of the 538 electoral votes up for grabs and 2.2 percent of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the general election.
  • Between 1900 and 2016, Nevada cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 86.67 percent of the time, one of the highest accuracy rates in the country. In that same time frame, Nevada supported Democratic candidates for president slightly more often than Republican candidates, 53.33 to 46.67 percent.
  • Presidential caucuses in Nevada took place on February 20 (Democrats) and February 12, 2016 (Republicans). Hillary Clinton won the Democratic caucuses with 52.6 percent of the vote. Donald Trump won the Republican caucuses with 45.9 percent.

    • General election candidates and results

    See also: Ballot access for presidential candidates

    The candidate list below is based on an official list on the Nevada elections website. The candidate names below appear in the order in which they were listed on the official list—not necessarily the order in which they appeared on the ballot in November. Write-in candidates were not included in the list below.

    Presidential candidates on the ballot in Nevada

    ☑ Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine (Democratic)
    ☐ Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley (Independent American)
    ☐ Rocky De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg (Listed as "No Political Party")
    ☐ Gary Johnson/Bill Weld (Libertarian)
    ☐ Donald Trump/Mike Pence (Republican)

    Results

    U.S. presidential election, Nevada, 2016
    Party Candidate Vote % Votes Electoral votes
         Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngHillary Clinton/Tim Kaine 47.9% 539,260 6
         Republican Donald Trump/Mike Pence 45.5% 512,058 0
         Libertarian Gary Johnson/Bill Weld 3.3% 37,384 0
         Independent American Darrell Lane Castle/Scott Bradley 0.5% 5,268 0
         Other Rocky De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg 0.2% 2,552 0
         - "None of these candidates" 2.6% 28,863 0
    Total Votes 1,125,385 6
    Election results via: Nevada Secretary of State

    Historical election trends

    Nevada presidential election results (1900-2024)

    • 17 Democratic wins
    • 15 Republican wins
    Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
    Winning Party D R D D D R R R D D D D D R R D D R R R R R R D D R R D D D D R
    See also: Presidential election accuracy

    Below is an analysis of Nevada's voting record in presidential elections. The state's accuracy is based on the number of times a state has voted for a winning presidential candidate. The majority of statistical data is from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration and was compiled, here, by Ballotpedia, unless otherwise noted.

    Presidential election voting record in Nevada, 1900-2016

    Between 1900 and 2016:

    • Nevada participated in 30 presidential elections.
    • Nevada voted for the winning presidential candidate 86.67 percent of the time. The average accuracy of voting for winning presidential candidates for all 50 states in this time frame was 72.31 percent.[3]
    • Nevada voted Democratic 53.33 percent of the time and Republican 46.67 percent of the time.

    Most accurate states

    See also: Presidential election accuracy data

    Below is the list of the most accurate states when it comes to voting for the winning presidential candidate.

    Most accurate states, 1900-2016
    State Percentage of accuracy
    Ohio 93.33% (28 out of 30 elections)
    New Mexico 88.89% (24 out of 27 elections)
    Nevada 86.67% (26 out of 30 elections)
    Missouri 86.67% (26 out of 30 elections)
    Illinois 83.33% (25 out of 30 elections)

    Presidential election voting record in Nevada, 2000-2016

    *An asterisk indicates that that candidate also won the national electoral vote in that election.

    Election results

    2012

    2008

    Polling

    Nevada polls (2016)


    Ballotpedia's battleground state polling averages were based on polls that came out over a 20- to 30-day period. For example, an average might have covered all polls that were released for a state between September 1, 2016, and September 30, 2016. They were not weighted. Polling averages were checked and updated daily.

    Electoral votes

    See also: Electoral College

    The president of the United States is not elected by popular vote but rather by electors in the Electoral College. In fact, when Americans vote for president, they are actually voting for a slate of electors selected by members of Democratic and Republican state parties or nominated in some other fashion. Under this system, which is laid out in Article 2, Section 1, of the Constitution, each state is allocated one electoral vote for every member of their congressional delegation, meaning one for each member of the U.S. House and one for each of their two Senators.

    Nevada electors

    In 2016, Nevada had six electoral votes. Nevada's share of electoral votes represented 1.1 percent of the 538 electoral votes up for grabs in the general election and 2.2 percent of the 270 votes needed to be elected president. Democratic and Republican electors in Nevada were selected at state party conventions.

    "Faithless electors"

    The U.S. Constitution does not dictate how presidential electors are to cast their votes, but, in general, electors are expected to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state or the candidates of the party that nominated them to serve as electors. Electors who choose not to vote for the winner of the popular vote or the candidates of the party that nominated them are known as "faithless electors." Faithless electors are rare. Between 1900 and 2012, there were only eight known instances of faithless electors.

    Several states have passed laws against faithless electors and require electors to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state, for the candidate of the party that nominated them to serve as electors, or in accordance with any pledge they may have been required to make at the time of their nomination. In states with these types of laws, faithless electors can be fined or replaced, or their votes can be nullified.[5][6]

    Nevada was one of 31 states in 2016—including the District of Columbia—with a law seeking to bind the votes of presidential electors.

    State campaign staff

    Prior to the November 8, 2016, election, each campaign put in place paid staff, volunteers, and political operatives in each state in efforts to gain votes and influence voter turnout on election day. The following details some of the key staff for each campaign in Nevada.

    Hillary Clinton

    For Hillary Clinton's campaign, state operations nationwide were overseen by Marlon Marshall, the campaign's director of state campaigns and political engagement. The key staff in Nevada consisted of:

    Hillary for America 2016 Logo.png

    Jorge Neri, State director: Neri joined the Clinton campaign as an organizing director in Nevada in April 2015 and was named the state director for the general election in May 2016. He was formerly the associate director of public engagement for the White House under Barack Obama and began his career as an organizer for unions and nonprofit organizations focused on immigration policy.
    Michelle White, State political director: White joined the Clinton campaign in June 2015 after serving as the executive director fhte Nevada Senate Democratic Caucus. She previously organized for Shirley Breeden's (D) successful 2008 bid for Nevada State Senate.[7]

    Donald Trump

    For Donald Trump's campaign, state operations nationwide were overseen by Michael Biundo, the campaign's senior political advisor. The key staff in Nevada consisted of:

    Trump-Pence 2016.svg

    Charles Munoz, State director: Munoz joined the campaign in August 2015 to direct Trump's efforts in the Nevada Republican Caucuses and was named state director for the general election in July 2016. He also directed Trump's primary election efforts in Arizona. From 2010 to 2015, he worked for the Nevada chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a chapter he helped to found, eventually becoming deputy state director for the organization.


    Down ballot races

    See also: Nevada elections, 2016

    Below is a list of down ballot races in Nevada covered by Ballotpedia in 2016.

    Nevada Caucuses

    The Nevada caucuses are gatherings of voters who elect delegates to the county convention and cast their vote for the presidential candidate of their choice. The caucuses are the first nominating contest of the cycle in the western time zone and are often called the "First in the West" by the state parties.[8][9]

    Caucuses differ from primaries in two key respects. First, state parties generally oversee caucuses, whereas state government usually oversee primaries. The other difference is that caucuses are more time-consuming affairs. Primaries only involve a simple vote—similar to a general election. With caucuses, voters need to show up and separate into groups to support a particular candidate. Oftentimes voters try to convince other caucus goers to join their group.[10]

    Democrats

    Hillary Clinton won the Nevada Democratic caucuses with 52.7 percent of the vote. Bernie Sanders won 47.2 percent.[11]

    “Some may have doubted us, but we never doubted each other,” Clinton said in her acceptance speech. She also took aim at Sanders' populist message of economic inequality and growing the social safety net. “It can’t just be about what we’re going to give to you; it has to be about what we are going to build together,” Clinton said.[12] Sanders, on the other hand, sought to highlight his momentum and looked ahead to future contests. "I believe that on Super Tuesday we've got an excellent chance to win many of those states," he said.[13]

    Clinton's was carried to victory with a coalition of voters over 45 years of age—which made up 65 percent of the electorate—and minorities, according to entrance polling. She won 61 percent of voters between the ages of 45 and 64, and 74 percent of voters 65 and older. Sanders did well with younger voters, winning 82 percent of caucus goers surveyed between the ages of 17 and 29, and 62 percent of voters between 30 and 44.[14]

    Clinton also won 76 percent of African American voters, who accounted for 13 percent of voters. Sanders won 22 percent of African Americans. Sanders did edge out Clinton with Latino voters, who made up 19 percent of the electorate. He won 53 percent of the Latino vote, while Clinton received 45 percent.[14]

    Sanders won 71 percent of those who claimed to be independents, who made up 18 percent of voters. Clinton won 51 percent of Clark County, which is the state's population center and accounted for 67 percent of the electorate.[14]

    To be eligible to participate in the Democratic caucuses—which were held on February 20, 2016—voters must have been at least 18 years old on Election Day, must have resided in the precinct in which they wished to participate, and must have been registered as Democrats. A voter may have registered or changed party affiliation on caucus day.[15]

    At the caucuses, voters divided into presidential preference groups. If a preference group for a candidate did not have enough people to be considered viable, a threshold set at the beginning of the day, eligible attendees would have an opportunity to join another preference group or acquire people into their group to become viable. Delegates were then awarded to the preference groups based on the group's size. Caucus day also allowed the opportunity for anyone interested in being on the county central committee to sign up, as well as for the submission of resolutions for the county platform.[16][17]

    Heading into the Democratic caucuses, Hillary Clinton led Bernie Sanders by just half a percentage point with 46.5 percent, according to an average of polls by Real Clear Politics on February 17, 2016. Sanders had 46 percent.

    Republicans

    Donald Trump won the Nevada Republican caucuses with 46 percent of the vote. His victory in Nevada marked his third consecutive primary victory, following wins in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Trump won all but two of Nevada's 17 counties, including heavy-populated Clark County where approximately three-quarters of the state's population resides.[18]

    Entrance polling conducted by CNN the day of the caucuses shows that Trump was able to assemble a broad coalition of supporters. He won 47 percent of male voters and 45 percent of female voters. He won 51 percent of voters 65 years of age and older and 49 percent of voters 45 years of age and older. The latter group made up 75 percent of the electorate, according to entrance polls. Trump also won 45 percent of the Latino vote—which made up 8 percent of caucus goers—and 47 percent of white voters, who made up 85 percent of the electorate. Forty percent of voters without a college degree supported Trump, as did 51 percent of voters with a college degree. He performed well with moderates and conservatives, winning 55 percent and 44 percent respectively. Forty percent of voters who identify as born-again Christians supported him.[19]

    In his acceptance speech, Trump stated, "We won the evangelicals. We won with young. With won with old. We won with highly educated. We won with poorly educated. I love the poorly educated."[20]

    The second place finisher was Marco Rubio. He received 24 percent of the vote. Rubio won 25 percent of the vote in Clark County. Entrance polling shows that Rubio outperformed Trump 37-31 percent with voters aged 17 to 29.[19]

    The winner of the Iowa caucuses, Ted Cruz, came in third, with 21.5 percent of the vote. Cruz trailed Rubio and Trump in most counties but won the counties of Elko and Lincoln.[18]

    On the day of the Republican caucuses, voters met at local precincts to elect delegates and alternate delegates to represent them at the county conventions. The county conventions—which took place in March—elected delegates to represent them at the state convention in May. The state convention elected delegates for the National Convention in July.[21]

    The Republican Party of Nevada described the importance of the February precinct caucuses on its website:[21]

    “ The reason the election of delegates and alternates is so important is because the Republican nominee for President is chosen by the delegates at the Republican National Convention. In Nevada, the process to become a national delegate begins with getting elected as a delegate at the precinct caucuses.

    All Delegates and alternate delegates elected at the precinct caucus will meet in the spring at their county convention. The county convention will then elect delegates to represent them at the State Convention in May. And it’s at the State Convention where the delegates and alternates get elected to the Republican National Convention in July.

    Since delegates generally vote for other delegates who support the same candidate as they do, it’s advantageous for a candidate to elect as many people as possible as delegates at the precinct caucuses. The more delegates a candidate has after the precinct caucuses in February, the greater the chance they will have the most delegates from Nevada to the National Convention in July.[22]

    		”

    The short video below, provided by the Douglas County, Nevada GOP, provides an example of how the precinct caucuses work.


    Douglas County Nevada GOP Caucus Training, January 28, 2016


    Very few polls had been conducted as of February 16, 2016, for the Republican candidates in Nevada.[23] The most recent poll prior to the February caucus was conducted by CNN and ORC International between February 10 and 15, 2016, and was released on February 17, 2016. It had Donald Trump in the lead with 45 percent, followed by Marco Rubio with 19 percent, Ted Cruz with 17 percent, Ben Carson with 7 percent, John Kasich with 5 percent and Jeb Bush with 1 percent.

    Caucus results

    State-wide

    Democratic

    Nevada Democratic Caucus, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes Delegates
    Green check mark transparent.pngHillary Clinton 52.6% 6,316 20
    Bernie Sanders 47.3% 5,678 15
    Totals 11,994 35
    Source: The New York Times

    *Vote totals equal county delegates won.

    Republican

    Nevada Republican Caucus, 2016
    Candidate Vote % Votes Delegates
    Green check mark transparent.pngDonald Trump 45.9% 34,531 14
    Marco Rubio 23.9% 17,940 7
    Ted Cruz 21.4% 16,079 6
    Ben Carson 4.8% 3,619 0
    John Kasich 3.6% 2,709 1
    Rand Paul 0.2% 170 0
    Jeb Bush 0.1% 64 0
    Chris Christie 0.1% 50 0
    Totals 75,162 28
    Source: Nevada GOP

    Polls

    Democratic caucuses

    Democratic Party Democratic Party presidential primary polling (Nevada)
    Poll Hillary Clinton Bernie SandersUnsure or OtherMargin of ErrorSample Size
    Gravis Marketing
    February 14-15, 2016    		53%47%0%+/-4516
    CNN/ORC
    February 10-15, 2016    		48%47%6%+/-6282
    TargetPoint
    February 8-10, 2016    		45%45%10%+/-2.91,236
    Gravis Marketing
    December 23-27, 2015    		50%27%23%+/-5326
    CNN/ORC
    October 3-10, 2015    		50%34%16%+/-6253
    Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.


    Republican caucuses

    Republican Party Republican Party presidential primary polling (Nevada)
    Poll Donald Trump Ted CruzMarco RubioJohn KasichBen CarsonJeb BushUnsure or OtherMargin of ErrorSample Size
    Gravis Marketing
    February 14-15, 2016    		39%23%19%9%5%5%0%+/-4687
    CNN/ORC
    February 10-15, 2016    		45%17%19%5%7%1%6%+/-6.5245
    Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.


    Delegates

    Delegate selection

    See also: 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules

    Democratic Party

    Democratic Party Logo.png

    Nevada had 43 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 35 were pledged delegates. National party rules stipulated how Democratic delegates in all states were allocated. Pledged delegates were allocated to a candidate in proportion to the votes he or she received in a state's primary or caucus. A candidate was eligible to receive a share of the state's pledged delegates if he or she won at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the primary or caucus. There were three types of pledged Democratic delegates: congressional district delegates, at-large delegates, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs). Congressional district delegates were allocated proportionally based on the primary or caucus results in a given district. At-large and PLEO delegates were allocated proportionally based on statewide caucus results.[24][25]

    Eight party leaders and elected officials served as unpledged delegates. These delegates were not required to adhere to the results of a state's primary or caucus.[24][26]

    Nevada superdelegates

    See also: Superdelegates from Nevada, 2016 and Superdelegates and the 2016 Democratic National Convention

    Republican Party

    Logo-GOP.png

    Nevada had 30 delegates at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Of this total, 12 were district-level delegates (three for each of the state's four congressional districts). Nevada's district-level delegates were allocated on a proportional basis; each candidate who won a percentage of the statewide caucus vote in Nevada was entitled to a share of the state's district delegates.[27][28]

    Of the remaining 18 delegates, 15 served at large. At-large delegates were allocated on a proportional basis; each candidate who won a percentage of the statewide caucus vote in Nevada was entitled to a share of the state's at-large delegates. In addition, three national party leaders (identified on the chart below as RNC delegates) served as bound delegates to the Republican National Convention.[27][28]

    Nevada Delegates

    See also: Republican delegates from Nevada, 2016 and Republican delegates by state, 2016

    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Nevada State Democratic Party, "About the Caucus," accessed February 16, 2016
    2. ↑ Nevada Republican Party, "Nevada Caucus," accessed February 16, 2016
    3. ↑ This average includes states like Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, which did not participate in all 30 presidential elections between 1900 and 2016. It does not include Washington, D.C., which cast votes for president for the first time in 1964, or Alaska and Hawaii, which cast votes for president for the first time in 1960.
    4. ↑ This number refers to the number of times that the state voted for the winning presidential candidate between 2000 and 2016.
    5. ↑ Archives.gov, "About the Electors," accessed July 28, 2016
    6. ↑ Congressional Research Service, "The Electoral College: How it works in contemporary presidential elections," April 13, 2016
    7. ↑ LinkedIn, "Michelle White," accessed August 11, 2016
    8. ↑ Nevada State Democratic Party, "2016 Nevada State Democratic Party Precinct Caucuses," accessed February 16, 2016
    9. ↑ Nevada Republican Party, "Nevada 2016 Presidential Caucus," accessed February 16, 2016
    10. ↑ AL.com, "What's the difference between a caucus and a primary?" January 28, 2016
    11. ↑ NBC News, "Hillary Clinton Edges Bernie Sanders for Nevada Caucus Win," February 20, 2016
    12. ↑ The Washington Post, "Clinton defeats Sanders in Nevada; black voter support appears decisive," February 20, 2016
    13. ↑ USA Today, "Clinton rides minority support to win over Sanders in Nevada caucuses," February 20, 2016
    14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named entrance
    15. ↑ Nevada State Democratic Party, "2016 Nevada State Democratic Party Precinct Caucuses," accessed February 16, 2016
    16. ↑ Nevada State Democratic Party, "2016 Nevada State Democratic Party Precinct Caucuses," accessed February 16, 2016
    17. ↑ Reno Gazette-Journal, "How the Democratic caucus works," February 16, 2016
    18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 CNN, "Nevada," February 24, 2016
    19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named rpolls
    20. ↑ CNN, "Trump scores big win in Nevada," February 24, 2016
    21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Nevada Republican Party, "Nevada 2016 Presidential Caucus," accessed February 16, 2016
    22. ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    23. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, "Poll Scarcity Makes Nevada Caucuses a Mystery With Days to Go," February 15, 2016
    24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Democratic National Committee, "2016 Democratic National Convention Delegate/Alternate Allocation," updated February 19, 2016
    25. ↑ The Green Papers, "2016 Democratic Convention," accessed May 7, 2021
    26. ↑ Democratic National Committee's Office of Party Affairs and Delegate Selection, "Unpledged Delegates -- By State," May 27, 2016
    27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Republican National Committee, "2016 Presidential Nominating Process," accessed October 6, 2015
    28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 CNN.com, "Republican National Convention roll call vote," accessed July 20, 2016
    v • e
    2016 United States Presidential Election
    OverviewsPresidential Elections-2016-badge.png
    Candidate profiles
    Path to the presidency
    Policy positions
    On the campaign trail
    Ballotpedia's battleground poll • Campaign preparations • Political and leadership attributes • Presidential campaign trackers and opposition researchers
    Campaign staff
    Debates
    Analysis
    The media's coverage of Donald Trump • The media's coverage of Hillary Clinton

    Post-debate analysis overview
    Democratic: April 14, 2016 (CNN) • March 9, 2016 (Univision) • March 6, 2016 (CNN) • February 11, 2016 (PBS) • February 4, 2016 (MSNBC) • January 17, 2016 (NBC) • December 19, 2015 (ABC) • November 14, 2015 (CBS) • October 13, 2015 (CNN)
    Republican: March 10, 2016 (CNN) • March 3, 2016 (FNC) • February 25, 2016 (CNN) • February 13, 2016 (CBS) • February 6, 2016 (ABC) • January 28, 2016 (FNC) • January 14, 2016 (FBN) • December 15, 2015 (CNN) • November 10, 2015 (FBN) • October 28, 2015 (CNBC) • September 16, 2015 (CNN)

    Insiders Poll: First Democratic debate (October 13, 2015) • Presidential Nominating Index: Clinton remains choice of Democratic Insiders • Presidential Nominating Index: Bush remains choice of Republican Insiders • Insiders Poll: Winners and losers from the Fox News Republican Debate


    v • e
    2016 Presidential Primaries and Caucuses
    OverviewsPresidential Elections-2016-badge.png
    Contests by state
    Contests by territory
    Flag of Nevada
    v • e
    State of Nevada
    Carson City (capital)
    Elections

    What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

    Government

    Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy

    Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Presidential_election_in_Nevada,_2016&oldid=7949579"