GOP ends NV vote count; Romney on top with 50 pct

[February 06, 2012]  LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Nevada Republicans have finally finished counting the votes in their Saturday presidential caucuses.

As projected, Mitt Romney won handily, finishing with 50 percent. Newt Gingrich was second with 21 percent, edging out Ron Paul who had 19 percent of the vote. Rick Santorum finished last with 10 percent.

The results were released early Monday, nearly two days after voters began casting their ballots.

Party officials blame the delay on voting discrepancies and their old-fashioned voting method of using handwritten ballots.

GOP executive director David Gallagher says representatives from the campaigns approved the counting.

Only 32,963 voters participated in the caucuses, far short of the 44,000 Republicans who voted in the 2008 GOP caucuses. Romney also won four years ago, during his first run for the White House.

[Associated Press; By CRISTINA SILVA]

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