There is less than a month to the Iowa caucus. All seven major Republican candidates for president are gearing up for the "first in the nation" selection process for president. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas gathered in Ames at Iowa State University to a throng of supporters, according to Time Magazine. He is currently third in Iowa polling, behind Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney. Paul stands at 17 percent among Republican voters. Capturing an upset win in the Iowa caucus may validate his candidacy.
How exactly does the Iowa caucus work? Here are some basic explanations.
Definition
Merriam-Webster defines a caucus as "a closed meeting of a group of persons belonging to the same political party or faction usually to select candidates or to decide on policy." The meetings will take place on the same day across Iowa.
The Des Moines Register reports party activists are the ones who most often attend caucuses. Members of either major party meet together in a room. By a simple vote a particular candidate may be selected in that group's meeting. Delegates are then chosen to the district and state level who then select delegates to the Republican National Convention where parties then select their choice for president.
Iowa's Special Case
CNN had a very nice piece in 2008 in advance of the primaries for both Democrats and Republicans. Voters must show up by 7 p.m. the night of the caucus. Otherwise their votes won't count. A caucus can also have politicking involved. People can discuss among themselves who they will vote for and why. It's almost as if the caucus is a meeting and a chance to vote all in one. A simple vote is taken and then reported to the state's party headquarters.
A caucus lasts about an hour depending on turnout. The reason Iowa has a caucus is that the political parties cut a deal between New Hampshire and Iowa. New Hampshire would get the nation's first primary election. Iowa gets the first caucus. Fifteen states utilize a caucus system, according to the Federal Election Commission. Caucuses start with Iowa Jan. 3 and end with North Dakota June 5.
By comparison, a primary election has a time throughout the day in which people can come and vote. There are no discussions, just a simple secret ballot. Election authorities then report results on the district level and then votes are tabulated.
How Votes Count
Votes in both a caucus and primary count towards delegates to the national convention who are pledged to support a particular candidate. Both of the political parties control whether or not delegates from certain states count or not towards selecting the nominee. The general election works different as votes are counted by official election authorities in each state the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
William Browning is a research librarian specializing in U.S. politics. Born in St. Louis, Browning is active in local politics and served as a campaign volunteer for President Barack Obama and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill.
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