Nevada caucus: A look at the entrance polls

US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has narrowly defeated her rival, Bernie Sanders, in the Nevada caucuses.

With around 66 percent of the total vote in, Clinton edged ahead of Sanders with roughly 52.3 per cent of the vote to his 47.7 percent.

Three-quarters of voters described themselves as born-again Christians and almost half said it matters a great deal that a candidate shares their religious beliefs – both increases from 2012. The Clinton campaign believes that Sanders’ strength and enthusiasm is illusory; that it reflects the peculiar demographics of Iowa and New Hampshire-rural states with few minorities-more than any pro-Bernie tide in the Democratic Party.

Clinton, stressing issues important to minority voters such as criminal justice reform, said she was running “a campaign to break down every barrier that holds you back”.

Stephanopoulos highlighted how Clinton won in entrance polls on “experience and electability” over Sanders so she’ll go “into SC, big lead there, next Saturday, and has a huge lead in a lot of those big Super Tuesday states in March”.

The Republican fared poorly in earlier contests in Iowa and New Hampshire and said the race had been “hard fought” but that voters of those three states had spoken. Sanders won 54% of the Latino vote, according to the sample data, compared to Clinton’s 43%.

The next contest in the Democratic primary takes place in SC.

Vote counting was delayed in Nevada by heavy turnout.

Nevada registered Democrats such as students, Peace Corps volunteers, diplomats and members of the military and their families living overseas got on the equivalent of a conference call during caucus time Saturday and cast their vote.

Hillary Clinton was overwhelmingly supported by the African American community in Nevada, while Sanders “did better than expected” among Latinos. “Some may have doubted us but we never doubted each other”, Clinton told supporters at the Caesars Palace hotel in Las Vegas.

Clinton congratulated Sanders, but then needled him for his focus on condemning the rich for trying to control the political system. The exit polls telling you what so far? Trump’s strong showing in SC marked his second straight victory in the Republican primaries.

Clinton Sunday admitted she must prove her trustworthiness to voters.