�If you want to vote for who the next Republican president will be, this is where you do it � not during the primaries in August.�   �Sue Lowden

Nevada Republicans have moved up the date of the state caucus to Jan. 19. The advantage: Attracting candidates to Nevada, a state where they have traditionally picked up checks, but never shook any hands.

�I looked at Iowa and I looked at New Hampshire, and I was green with envy that candidates were having coffee at some diner or having breakfast at somebody�s house, and that we weren�t a part of it,� says Sue Lowden, chairwoman of the state party. �And I felt that this could be a major breakthrough for us. We went out boldly and joined with the Democrats, and I thought that this would be an opportunity for us in Nevada to get to know our candidates better. And I really, truly believed that that was going to happen.�

Republican political consultant Pete Ernaut reinforced that this date is more about Nevada as a whole, not one party. �I think one of the most important things for people to understand is that both Republicans and Democrats need to work together on this in terms of organization. We need to put Nevada on the map in terms of presidential politics. When it�s all said and done, it�s about Nevada. If we fight amongst ourselves, that success will never be reached.�

So far the national publicity has been good for the Silver State. People are beginning to see that Nevadans are serious about their politics. Who would have ever thought there would be this chess game of other states moving up their caucuses?

�There�s a direct correlation between shaking hands in Elko and doing something in Las Vegas, and watching your numbers go up,� Lowden says of the candidates. �We�ve seen it with John McCain and Mitt Romney. OK, we�re not getting the full attention of the candidates that I had originally anticipated, and that�s a little disappointing. Having said that, we�ve gotten more attention than we ever had. Do I think for a minute that John McCain or Mitt Romney would go to Elko if we weren�t a state that was having its caucus Jan. 19? Do I think that Fred Thompson would be coming at the beginning of November if we weren�t an early state? No, I don�t.�

Whoever turns out Jan. 19, it will be a bigger number than the state GOP has ever witnessed. Lowden isn�t saying Republicans will have the numbers Democrats will get. But the party will know who�s serious about keeping Nevada red. Regardless of who wins, it�s going to put Nevada in a pretty good light. If you don�t have Nevada, you�re not going to win the presidency. The ultimate nominee will be the one who has spent the most time in Nevada. 

�If you want a voice on who becomes the next president of the United States, a Nevada voice, you must participate in this caucus, you have to take it seriously,� says Lowden. �We�ll send a selection of delegates to the national convention, and those delegates could be in a smoke-filled room bartering on who will be our nominee. No one thinks that races aren�t close anymore.�

What is a caucus?
A caucus is a gathering of neighbors and friends who get together to discuss politics, elect delegates and alternates to the county convention, submit issues to be discussed and voted on for the county platform, and cast their votes for the Presidential candidate of their choice.

What�s the difference between a caucus and a primary?
There are many differences between a caucus and a primary. To begin with, you will be voting for delegates and alternates to the county convention in addition to casting a vote for President. Also you must physically attend your precinct caucus in January. Absentee voting and early voting is not allowed. And unlike our primaries, you can only vote at the caucus location in your neighborhood. The Nevada Republican Party will be mailing each Republican voter in the state a postcard specifying his or her caucus location. Precinct caucus locations will also be published in the newspaper and will be available at the State Party�s website [www.NevadaGOP.org].

Why is the election of delegates and alternates at the caucus so important?
The reason the election of delegates and alternates is 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 March at their county convention. The county convention will then elect delegates and alternates to represent them at the State Convention in April. And it�s at the State Convention where the delegates and alternates get elected to the Republican National Convention in September.

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 January, the greater the chance he will have the most delegates from Nevada to the National Convention in September.

Is this my only chance to vote for my favorite Republican Presidential candidate or can I wait and vote in the primary?
The January Nevada caucuses will be the only chance you�ll have for voting for your favorite Republican Presidential candidate. Presidential candidates will not be on the ballot in Nevada�s August primary.

Who can participate in Nevada's Republican caucuses?
If you are currently registered as a Republican in Nevada, you are already eligible to participate. If you are a new resident to Nevada or if you are planning to change your party affiliation to Republican, you will need to register 30 days prior to the caucus in order to participate.

Also, if you are 17 years old and will be 18 years old on or before November 4, 2008, you will be welcome to participate when you register as a Republican.

What happens at a Republican caucus?
If you will be attending your first caucus and aren�t sure how it works, don�t worry; the vast majority of your fellow Republican caucus-goers will be attending their first caucus as well. Outlined below are the seven steps each precinct caucus will take:

Sign In: A local volunteer will verify that you are a registered Republican and will check you in.

Elect a Caucus Chair and Secretary: Usually the local volunteer who checked you in is elected as Caucus Chair. The Caucus Secretary will assist the Chair.

Election of Delegates: Each precinct will be allotted a specific number of delegates to the county convention based on the number of registered Republicans in the precinct. Anyone may run as a delegate and the top vote-getters are automatically elected.

Election of Alternates: Alternates will vote at the county convention when a delegate is unable to attend or has to leave the county convention early.

Turn in Platform Issues: If you have an issue you want considered for inclusion into the county�s platform, you must submit it at the caucus. Your platform issue will be debated and voted on at the county convention.

Supporters of Each Candidate Speak: One supporter of each candidate running for President is given a few minutes to explain why the caucus attendees should support their candidate.

Vote: Caucus attendees will then vote in a Presidential Preference Poll immediately after all speeches have been given. These results will be released to the media later in the day.

The whole process takes about 30 to 45 minutes. Additionally, the Party will keep the polls open a little later to accommodate those people who could not attend the caucus due to scheduling conflicts. While they won�t be able to vote for delegates or alternates, they will be able to cast a vote in the Presidential preference poll.