Lawsuit Over Precincts in Nevada - New York Times

Lawsuit Over Precincts in Nevada - New York Times: "Lawsuit Over Precincts in Nevada" LAS VEGAS — In what has become a proxy battle between the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, the large hotel workers union in Nevada on Saturday attacked a lawsuit by another major union that would make it more difficult for hotel workers to vote in this state’s hotly contested Democratic caucuses. Filed Friday in Federal District Court here, the lawsuit comes just days after the 60,000-member Culinary Workers Union Local 226 in Nevada endorsed Mr. Obama, a blow to Mrs. Clinton. In the lawsuit, the 20,000-member Nevada State Education Association and six residents of the Las Vegas area argue that the Nevada Democratic Party’s decision to create at-large precincts inside nine Las Vegas resorts on the day of the caucus, next Saturday, violates state election law and creates a system in which voters at the at-large precincts can elect more delegates than voters at other precincts. The suit uses a complex formula to assert that voters at the other 1,754 precincts in Nevada would have less influence. “It may be well-intentioned,” said Mark Ferrario, a lawyer for the plaintiffs. “But good intentions do not substitute for complying with the equal protection requirements.” D. Taylor, the secretary-treasurer of Culinary Local 226, criticized the lawsuit as “despicable” and “disgusting.” “I never thought we’d have people in the Democratic Party try to disenfranchise women, people of color and large numbers of working people in this state,” Mr. Taylor said. “I am sure every single elected official in Nevada will renounce it, and so will the Clinton campaign. “If there’s not a renouncing of it,” he added, “then there’s an agreement with it.” A Clinton campaign spokesman, Phil Singer, said in a statement: “We hope the courts and the state party resolve this matter. We will respect their decision and focus our efforts on running a strong campaign.” In a statement, an Obama campaign official, David Cohen, said, “We believe as a party, and a country, we should be looking for ways to include working men and women in the electoral process, not disenfranchise them.” The at-large precincts are being established because thousands of hotel workers cannot leave their jobs to participate in the midday caucuses in their home precincts. The education group has not endorsed in the caucuses, but some of its top officials are supporting Mrs. Clinton.