This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/05/nevada-eve-us-presidential-election
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Nevada on eve of US presidential election | Nevada on eve of US presidential election |
| (5 months later) | |
| There was no answer even after the third ring but the canvassers did not budge from the door. There was a waft of cooking and muffled sound of children. "Patience is a science, like baking," said Cheryl Lawrence, a pastry cook-turned political activist. "Get it right and the cake doesn't collapse." | There was no answer even after the third ring but the canvassers did not budge from the door. There was a waft of cooking and muffled sound of children. "Patience is a science, like baking," said Cheryl Lawrence, a pastry cook-turned political activist. "Get it right and the cake doesn't collapse." |
| Eventually the door opened. Zelalem Woldetadik, an Ethiopian-American identified as a likely Obama voter, said yes, she would vote for the president. "And your husband, Dinkos?" asked Lawrence, consulting her printed database. "Him too," replied Woldetadik. | Eventually the door opened. Zelalem Woldetadik, an Ethiopian-American identified as a likely Obama voter, said yes, she would vote for the president. "And your husband, Dinkos?" asked Lawrence, consulting her printed database. "Him too," replied Woldetadik. |
| Lawrence made sure the woman knew the polling centre location and left a clutch of leaflets. "We'll be back here again until we know she's voted. Just to make sure." | Lawrence made sure the woman knew the polling centre location and left a clutch of leaflets. "We'll be back here again until we know she's voted. Just to make sure." |
| Barack Obama won Nevada by a whopping 12.5 points in 2008 but it has since endured one of the country's highest unemployment and foreclosure rates, giving Republicans a chance to wrest the state's six electoral college votes. | Barack Obama won Nevada by a whopping 12.5 points in 2008 but it has since endured one of the country's highest unemployment and foreclosure rates, giving Republicans a chance to wrest the state's six electoral college votes. |
| Mitt Romney's strategy, backed by field offices and a Super PAC advertising blitz, is to mobilise rural and Mormon Republicans in huge numbers, sway a majority of voters in swing Washoe county and dent Obama's lead in populous Clark county, which includes Las Vegas. | Mitt Romney's strategy, backed by field offices and a Super PAC advertising blitz, is to mobilise rural and Mormon Republicans in huge numbers, sway a majority of voters in swing Washoe county and dent Obama's lead in populous Clark county, which includes Las Vegas. |
| The Democrats and their union allies have responded by registering 90,000 more voters than Republicans, mostly in Clark county, and prodding them into early voting. They were boosted by a fast growing Latino population which shudders at Romney's stance on immigration. | The Democrats and their union allies have responded by registering 90,000 more voters than Republicans, mostly in Clark county, and prodding them into early voting. They were boosted by a fast growing Latino population which shudders at Romney's stance on immigration. |
| Their extensive ground game – reflected in the likes of Lawrence visiting and revisiting households until they vote – appears to be paying off. Democrats have a 48,000 lead in the 700,000 people who voted by last week. | Their extensive ground game – reflected in the likes of Lawrence visiting and revisiting households until they vote – appears to be paying off. Democrats have a 48,000 lead in the 700,000 people who voted by last week. |
| With only about 300,000 more votes expected to be cast (for a total of around 1m), Obama will probably win, reckoned Jon Ralston, the dean of Nevada political analysts and an electoral sage. | With only about 300,000 more votes expected to be cast (for a total of around 1m), Obama will probably win, reckoned Jon Ralston, the dean of Nevada political analysts and an electoral sage. |
| "[Republicans] need everything to break right – President Obama haemorrhages Democrats and independents vote in huge numbers for Romney, two things I do not see happening." No matter how good the Republican turnout on Tuesday, Obama will hold the state 50% to Romney's 46%, Ralston predicted. | "[Republicans] need everything to break right – President Obama haemorrhages Democrats and independents vote in huge numbers for Romney, two things I do not see happening." No matter how good the Republican turnout on Tuesday, Obama will hold the state 50% to Romney's 46%, Ralston predicted. |
| Obama has visited Nevada 10 times this year, including a rally in Las Vegas last week. Romney has visited eight times since April, and his running mate Paul Ryan five times, including a visit to Reno on Monday. | Obama has visited Nevada 10 times this year, including a rally in Las Vegas last week. Romney has visited eight times since April, and his running mate Paul Ryan five times, including a visit to Reno on Monday. |
| "Nevada we are counting on you," Ryan told a cheering crowd inside an aviation hanger. "We know you can do this. We can do this together. Lets run through the tape. Lets leave it all on the field." | "Nevada we are counting on you," Ryan told a cheering crowd inside an aviation hanger. "We know you can do this. We can do this together. Lets run through the tape. Lets leave it all on the field." |
| Romney also dispatched his Spanish-speaking son Craig to tour the state and woo Latino voters, hammering the message that the economy will recover faster under his father. | Romney also dispatched his Spanish-speaking son Craig to tour the state and woo Latino voters, hammering the message that the economy will recover faster under his father. |
| Texas governor Rick Perry, who lost to Romney in the Republican primaries, campaigned for him in Las Vegas in recent days and insisted the GOP was on course for victory. | Texas governor Rick Perry, who lost to Romney in the Republican primaries, campaigned for him in Las Vegas in recent days and insisted the GOP was on course for victory. |
| "Our voters historically vote on election day," he told reporters. "Their voters vote during early periods, so these early votes don't cause me great consternation." | "Our voters historically vote on election day," he told reporters. "Their voters vote during early periods, so these early votes don't cause me great consternation." |
| guardian.co.uk today is our daily snapshot of the top news stories, sent to your inbox at 8am |