Council Bluffs, Iowa — Iowa voters are, at long last, set to pick their favorite presidential candidate tonight.
Here are a few things to know about tonight's vote:
How do the Iowa caucuses work?
Voting in a caucus isn’t as simple as showing up to a polling precinct on your lunch break and casting a ballot. A caucus typically requires at least an hourlong commitment on a frigid winter night full of speeches and maneuvering. Both parties allow only registered Republicans and Democrats to caucus, but they both offer same-day registration.
The rules differ sharply depending on the party.
On the Republican side, caucus goers listen to surrogates for each candidate - and sometimes the candidate themselves - deliver speeches before they submit their votes on a slip of paper. The results are reported to the state party and then the media.
Democrats have an added wrinkle in their process. Voters are asked to indicate their choice for the nominee by standing in certain parts of the room designated for each candidate. If one candidate fails to get at least 15 percent of the room’s support, they are free to support a different candidate. It often sets up a scramble for support, as surrogates for the remaining candidates are allowed to make personal appeals.
What time does it start and when will we start seeing results?
Voting at the roughly 2,000 caucus sites begins at 7 p.m. Central. The Iowa GOP predicts it will start posting the caucus results at 7:30 p.m. Central, but the Democratic caucus could take longer because of the more complicated rules. You can find GOP Caucus results at http://www.iagopcaucuses.com and Democratic Caucus results at http://www.idpcaucuses.com.
Why Iowa?
Critics say Iowa gets far too much attention and note that its largely white and rural electorate isn’t reflective of the more diverse nation. And the state is sometimes a poor barometer for who the nominee will be, particularly on the Republican side. But Iowans are proud of their first-in-the-nation status, and demand a retail-level politics that supporters believe can help winnow the field.
What’s at stake?
Plenty. If Donald Trump pulls out a victory, he could set the stage for a sweep of New Hampshire and South Carolina - and make it even more difficult for any other rival to stop his path to the nomination. His main rival in Iowa, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, hopes that a victory here could give him a springboard to the conservative states in the south. And Florida Sen. Marco Rubio could emerge as the establishment favorite with a strong showing in Iowa.
For Democrats, a victory for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders would damage Hillary Clinton’s aura of inevitability - and set up a showdown in South Carolina, Georgia and the other mostly Southern states that vote over the next few weeks.
Where can I read more about the race, what does it means to Georgia, and why I should even care?
We're glad you ask. Cue the list!
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