Understanding the Iowa caucuses and why they’re important to the election
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Every four years, Iowa plays an important role in shaping the presidential race. Since the 1970s, the Midwestern state has held the nation’s first nominating contest, giving its voters outsize attention and the candidates who have bet big on Iowa an opportunity to shake up the race.
This year, the major question heading into Iowa is whether any Republican presidential candidate has the firepower to compete with former president Donald Trump, who is far ahead of his competitors in polls.
How Iowa Republicans vote for the presidential nominee is different than what happens in much of the rest of the United States. Most states host a primary where voters can cast ballots early or show up during a wide window of time on Election Day.
Iowa Republicans, however, hold a caucus, which requires voters to gather at their voting precinct at the same time — this year it is 7 p.m. Central time on Jan. 15 — to listen to speeches from campaign representatives, fill out ballots and, if they want, watch the votes get tallied.
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