We've mentioned the problem of We've mentioned the problem of disenfranchisement in the Nevada caucus a few times now, as well as the problems inherent in the caucus system itself. Caucuses are difficult for much of the working class, parents who can't find babysitters, those living overseas, etc. But Nevada will be the first state where the language barrier presents a major challenge -- though it was a problem in Iowa, too, despite their much smaller Spanish-speaking population. In Nevada, the number of Latinos rose by more than 40 percent between 2000 to 2005; Latinos now make up a quarter of the state's population. There's not even a Spanish word for "caucus," let alone a simple way to explain the process in any language. To address this, the Nevada Democrats have developed a site, Nuestro Caucus, to explain and promote the caucuses to Spanish-speakers, and they've been doing get-out-the-vote work there over the past year, reaching out to Latino voters in particular and even going so far as to hold mock caucuses in heavily Latino areas. But how easy the caucuses are to attend for these voters on Jan. 19 will likely determine how much influence they'll have.
Bringing in Latino voters now is especially important as a means of preparing for the general election, where they've got the potential to decide who claims the state. Bush won Nevada by just 2 percent in 2004, and their current Republican governor was elected in '06 with just 48 percent of the vote. Making sure these voters know how to caucus builds the momentum to get them to the voting booths in the fall.
--Kate Sheppard
