The at-large precincts are unique in several respects. First, they are not based upon home address but upon employment; participants must show their employee ID and participate at their place of employment (ie, one of the participating Strip properties). Second, the number of delegates allotted will depend upon number of eligible caucus attendees, based on a sliding scale between 50 and 100. Expectations are that each of the 9 sites will award between 60 and 80 delegates, of the roughly 10,000 delegates to be apportioned statewide. Enough to tip the balance in a close race.

The sliding scales were calculated by the NDSP to provide lower delegate to voter ratios than standard precincts, to create a disincentive for campaigns to steer supporters who are employees not on their shifts to the at-large precincts. Still, there has long been buzz that the opposite could occur, if turnout at the at-large precincts is very low, in which case the ratios of delegates to voters would be much higher. This possibility is reportedly the basis of a lawsuit filed today against the NDSP (as reported on the woeful local tv news, so no one seems to know who brought the suit); such last-minute lawsuits are not atypical in Nevada elections the last few cycles so no one seems too concerned that this could disrupt the caucus. Then again, it could fall to a judge who wants to get his or her name in the paper (perhaps jealous of not being able to try the OJ Simpson case?) ....

Until recently, there has also been confusion about whether Strip employers would allow workers on their shifts to attend. (During regular elections, workers are given permission to leave the designated break areas for 20 minutes to vote (one of the early voting sites is on the Strip); since a caucus will take more time, and require a large number of workers to take an extended break at the same time, there has reportedly been resistance by employers. That concern has apparently been resolved, as today (at least at some properties) sign-up sheets were posted for those workers intending to attend. (Interestingly, at least at one property, perhaps more, dealers were told they will have to take the entire day off if they wish to attend. [Dealers are not represented by Culinary; at two Strip properties, dealers recently voted to affiliate with the Transport Workers Union (which has endorsed Edwards)]).

The widespread expectation has long been that although not all Strip employees are Culinary members, their support will be predominant. That might suggest Obama will gain the lion's share of those 400 to 1000 delegates. (On the subject of the Culinary support for Obama, there was a protest at their office today, before the rally at which Obama formally accepted the nomination; the protest was, again according to not always reliable local news, of members angry that the union had not endorsed Clinton. The carried signs reading "The Union is costing us our jobs" and Clinton signs and according to two protesters quoted on the local tv news, they felt it was "unAmerican" for the union to "tell people how to vote." No indication if this protest was affiliated with or organized by the Clinton campaign, though it would seem so incredibly bone-headed that I find it unlikely the campaign would have done so.

By the way, another interesting difference from Iowa -- the NDSP rules state clearly that observers at any precinct caucus are "not to participate or influence" the proceedings, and no one is allowed to hand out any literature, buttons, signs, etc. Individuals may bring campaign signs or literature but they must hold onto such material at all times and cannot hand them to others. Given that all the campaigns have been struggling to identify and train precinct captains up to the final week, this is one area in which I imagine there may be some confusion or dispute; those campaigns with larger staffs or with support from allied groups or more out of state volunteers might be tempted to have staffers or volunteers function effectively as precinct captains, then withdraw before the group is counted. Precinct chairs should not allow this, although its anybody's guess how closely they will want or be able to do so.

Speaking of allied groups, AFSCME mail arrived today, apparently targeted at women, on behalf of Clinton. Its slightly off-message, emphasizing her experience in Washington and her Readiness for Day One, while her new tv ads play up her conversion to pathos on the road to Manchester, showing a clip from her NH victory speech about finding her voice.

Also in the mail, the NDSP is sending a rather clever series to encourage turnout, which depict (the 2nd in 2 days arrived today, so I'm anticipating they will continue) what appear to be actual Nevada Democrats who are intending to caucus based on their concern about various issues (a soldier back from Iraq concerned to end the war; a nurse concerned about health care). The party is also running tv and radio ads and robo-calls featuring Harry Reid. I'll try to give a sense of how I perceive the state of play on the all-important questionof turnout after this weekend's canvassing.