How Does
How Does the Iowa Caucus Work?
-
Caucusing has been a way of electing public officials since before Iowa became a state in 1848. A Native American term, caucus means a gathering of tribal leaders to decide policy and elect officials. Iowa is the only state still caucusing as most other states have gone to the Primary system for nominating Presidential hopefuls.
Both Republicans and Democrats caucus in Iowa. The Republican caucus is a straw poll event, while the Democrats use the open forum.
-
To be eligible to caucus in the state of Iowa, a voter must be able to prove residency in the state and be a registered Democrat or Republican (not Independent). Registered Democrats and Republicans can cross party lines, but may only caucus for one party. Registered Independents can not caucus at this time in the state of Iowa.
-
On caucus night, each registered Democrat and Republican reports to the caucus in their precinct. Voter registration cards and state IDs are checked at the door to ensure voters are at the correct precinct.
-
The Republican caucus is held as a straw poll. Participants are asked to write down the name of the candidate they support and all votes are tabulated at the end of the night. The person with the highest vote is the winner of that precinct. All precinct votes are then tabulated and a state winner is announced.
-
The Democratic caucus is a social event. All participants are called to a large room that is divided into sections for each Democratic candidate. Participants then stand in the section designated to the candidate they support. At the end of a set period of time, each section does a head count. A candidate must receive 15 percent of the total participants to be considered viable. Supporters of candidates with less than 15 percent are then asked to choose a more viable candidate. Another head count is taken, and the process continues until a winner is declared.
eHow Article: How Does the Iowa Caucus Work?
