Do you sense caucus confusion? Your guide to how Iowa works

WASHINGTON — The race for the White House officially begins in less than two weeks, and despite lengthy quibbles over the election calendar, the long Iowa caucuses season will restart with a caucus process that has served as the lead vote since the election. 70s.

Although Iowa has played a major role in presidential politics for generations, the details of how the caucuses actually work can surprise and baffle even the most die-hard political junkies. The Republican process is largely unchanged this year, but there are significant changes to the traditional voting schedule on the Democratic side. Much of what you think you know about the Iowa caucuses may no longer apply in 2024.

Because the contentious Iowa caucuses of 2016 and 2020 may seem like a long time ago, here's an update on what they are, how they work and why they matter.

A political caucus is a gathering of people with a shared interest or goal. The Iowa caucuses are a series of local meetings held throughout the state where participants transact party business and usually indicate their preference for a presidential candidate who will represent the party on the November ballot. It is also the first step in a months-long process to select people who will serve as delegates to the party's national conventions this summer.

One of the main differences between caucuses and primaries is the amount of time spent voting and the methods by which people can vote. During primaries, people can come to the polls and cast their votes throughout Election Day, from early in the morning until the polls close at night. They have the option of absentee voting if they can't get to the polls on Election Day, and in some states people can vote before Election Day. By contrast, the Iowa caucuses are held in the evening and voters must be present in person to participate, except in a few isolated cases. Caucuses are run by political parties, while primaries are usually (but not always) run by the state.

Kind of. Although both the Republican and Democratic parties will hold caucuses on January 15, only the Republican event will have an immediate, binding impact on the presidential race. In a departure from previous years, the Democratic caucuses will be held only to handle party administrative business and to initiate the process of electing delegates to the national conventions. Iowa Democrats will make their preferences for their party's presidential candidate known through a mail-in voting process, the results of which won't be known until March.

For Democrats, there is nothing at stake as the 2024 caucuses will have no impact on the presidential race.

For Republicans, there are usually two prizes in the Iowa caucuses: delegates and bragging rights. Republican voters in Iowa will announce their choice for the party's presidential nominee, and the outcome of that vote will determine how many of the state's 40 convention delegates each candidate will receive. Candidates win national convention delegates in direct proportion to the percentage of votes they receive. There is no minimum threshold required to qualify for delegates.

However, Iowa makes up a minuscule share of the total number of Republican delegates nationwide (just 1.6%). So in theory, a candidate who performs poorly in Iowa has enough options in the remaining states and territories to more than make up the difference. But because Iowa ranks first in the nation on the presidential campaign calendar, caucus results often give disproportionate boost to the winners and those who perform strongly or exceed expectations, while often having a staggering effect on the field by to give you a push. poorly performing candidates from the race. They can also let voters in other states know, fairly or unfairly, which candidates may be better positioned in the race for the nomination and have momentum (or the “Big Mo” as candidate George HW Bush called it after winning the caucuses of 1980). ) on the way to the next matches.

There will be two major agenda items at each Republican caucus location: holding a binding vote for the party's presidential candidate and choosing delegates to attend provincial conventions, which is the next step in the layered process of choosing delegates for attending the Republican National Convention. in Milwaukee this summer.

The binding presidential election essentially functions like a party-run primary, only with very limited voting hours and no accommodation for absentee voting, except for a small handful of foreign and military voters. There are speeches on behalf of various candidates before the vote and a variety of party business after the vote. Individual caucus chairs are allowed to exercise some discretion in the conduct of the vote, but the vote is by secret ballot and there is no fixed list of candidates. Voters should be given the opportunity to vote for any candidate they choose. In the past, some caucus sites have pre-printed the names of major candidates and provided a write-in option, but typically voters vote by writing a candidate's name on a blank piece of paper.

There is no walking around the caucus room to form candidate preference groups. That voting method was a hallmark of the Democratic caucuses from 1972 to 2020, but is no longer used by either party in 2024.

The Republican caucuses will meet statewide at 7:00 PM local time (8:00 PM EST) and begin with the election of a caucus chair and secretary. Only registered Republicans may participate in the caucuses and only in their designated home area. However, Iowans can register or change their party affiliation on caucus day. Voters must turn 18 before the November general election to participate.

Iowa Democrats had to completely redo their caucus and presidential delegate selection process after their 2024 caucuses descended into chaos and failed to produce a clear, undisputed winner.

This year, Iowa Democrats will still hold caucuses on the same day as Republicans, but unlike previous years, caucusgoers will not vote or indicate their choice to represent the party in November's presidential election. Instead, they will vote for a party nominee through a mail-in voting process beginning Jan. 12 and ending March 5.

The Democratic caucuses on January 15 will choose delegates to the provincial conventions in March, which is the next step in selecting the individuals who will serve as delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August. Delegates to the national convention will have to vote for a presidential candidate in accordance with the results of the mail-in voting process.