Nevada Democrats turn to Scantron-style paper ballots after Iowa caucus results chaos The move sheds new light on long-awaited plans to avoid an Iowa-style voting debacle

James DeHaven | Reno Gazette-Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Difference between caucus and primary, explained The 2020 election is nearing and with that, comes the caucuses and primary elections. But what’s the difference?

RENO — The Nevada State Democratic Party will use scannable paper ballots during its crucial upcoming caucus in a bid to avoid a repeat of Iowa’s tech-troubled presidential nominating contest.

A memo sent to campaigns on Monday confirms early voters will fill out paper ballots that will later be sent to party-run “processing hubs” for scanning and storage.

Organizers of Nevada’s closely watched third-in-the-nation nominating contest last week ditched the cell phone app software widely blamed for Iowa’s results-reporting fiasco.

But officials aren’t completely abandoning caucus day technology.

A copy of the memo obtained by the Reno Gazette Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, says caucusgoers will check in at their voting precinct on a “PDF voter roll” downloaded to party-purchased iPads.

Voters will then be handed a card with a “voter PIN” number needed to correctly fill out a Google Form that will help “track participants and streamline data collection.” Officials said paper sign-in sheets will be available if needed.

Related: Nevada drops Caucus Day app blamed for Iowa vote-reporting debacle

After writing down their presidential preferences, early voters will slip their ballot and voting card into boxes watched over by some 3,000 caucus volunteers around the state.

The memo goes on to say that presidential campaigns will receive data about who voted early, but not the results of the votes. The party has said it will not release those tallies until in-person caucusing wraps up on Feb. 22.

Monday’s missive sheds new light on long-lingering questions about how the Silver State planned to process ballots cast during its newly expanded four-day early caucusing period.

It might also go some way toward easing campaign operatives’ concerns about a lack of communication with state party officials.

Multiple presidential campaigns on Thursday told the RGJ that they had sometimes gone days without speaking to the party — silences that may speak volumes about the uncertainty still looming over the state’s fast-approaching caucus.

“We’re focusing on what we can control — turning out our supporters and reaching people where they are,” Terrence Clark, Nevada campaign spokesman for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, added on Monday.

State party spokeswoman Molly Forgey has repeatedly denied reports blaming officials for leaving campaigns out of the loop. She told the RGJ officials have been in “regular contact” with 2020 presidential hopefuls.

Early caucusing in Nevada begins on Feb. 15 at any one of 80 locations around the state. The state’s closed caucus system is open to registered Democrats who will be over the age of 18 by Nov. 3.

For more information, visit caucus.nvdems.com.

Read the full memo below:

James DeHaven is the politics reporter for the Reno Gazette Journal. He covers campaigns, the Nevada Legislature and everything in between. Support his work by subscribing to RGJ.com right here.