Nevada GOP to release results via Twitter, Google

[January 28, 2012]  CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) -- Results of the Nevada Republican presidential caucus will be released through Twitter and Google, the first time the social network will play a central role in announcing the outcome of a political presidential contest.

Precinct and county results will be mapped by Google and linked to the Nevada Republican Party website. State GOP officials anticipate 50,000 to 60,000 will participate in the caucuses, which begin at different times according to schedules set up at the county level. The earliest commence at 7 a.m. PST.

Adam Sharp, Twitter manager of government and politics, said Friday the plan to release the results would "open up access to this real-time information."

Voting from all but Nevada's largest county, home to Las Vegas, will be released starting at 5 p.m. on Feb. 4. Totals from Clark County, where three-fourths of the state's citizens reside, will come sometime after 7 p.m., when a special evening caucus begins there for Jewish voters marking the Sabbath. That will delay final results from the presidential nominating contest by several hours.

The Clark County Republican Party has said the nighttime caucus will accommodate conservative Jewish voters and others, such as Seventh Day Adventists, who observe the traditional weekly day of worship.

Casino billionaire and Newt Gingrich supporter Sheldon Adelson had raised concerns about the Sabbath conflict. The evening gathering will be held at a school named after Adelson.

State officials acknowledged some campaigns have raised concerns about the Adelson school location because he and his wife contributed $10 million to Gingrich's Super PAC. Party officials said the location was chosen before the donations were known.

[Associated Press; By SANDRA CHEREB]

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