Hillary Clinton, who took the Democratic caucus vote in Nevada, the gambling capital of the country, owes at least two precincts to luck. In Carson City and Pahrump the races were tied and had to be decided by chance, which in Nevada’s case appropriately involves a deck of cards.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Clinton got six delegates in Carson City because her supporter drew the higher card, and three in Pahrump, where her representative drew an ace. It was a small step toward her victory in the state, but every little bit helps.
US presidential nominees are determined by primaries, where voters simply cast their ballots, and by complicated caucuses that require citizens to convene and discuss their choices before deciding who to support. In the Iowa Democratic caucus earlier this month, several precincts were deadlocked and had to decide on a candidate by flipping a coin. In casino-happy Nevada, ties are broken by drawing from a deck of cards.
Even without help from lucky cards, Clinton won caucuses held at many of the state’s casinos, including Ceasars Palace, which she visited three times in three days. With tens of thousands of union members, casino workers are a powerful voting force in Nevada.
This article is an update of a previous post.