What is a caucus?
A caucus is a primary that is limited to registered party members only. Members vote for delegates to the county and state conventions at small party meetings across the state. Those delegates then select representatives to go to the national party convention. The delegates who go to the national convention cast the actual votes for the candidates they want to run for office. Only 14 states hold presidential caucuses instead of primaries. Some states have recently moved to a caucus system from a primary system to save money, as fewer voters take part in caucuses.
A caucus is a meeting at the local level in which registered members of a political party in a city, town or county gather to express support for a candidate. For statewide or national offices, those recommendations are combined to determine the state party nominee. Caucuses, unlike conventions, involve many separate meetings held simultaneously at multiple locations. Both the Democratic and Republican parties have their own rules governing caucuses. Those rules vary from state to state.
Iowa’s process for choosing between presidential candidates is unique among the fifty United States. Every other state has a more traditional primary election in which registered voters can cast their ballots for the candidates they prefer. In Iowa, however, voters in each political party attend separate, small meetings, or caucuses, in towns and neighborhoods across the state. Caucuses are held at the precinct level in schools, fire stations and sometimes even in individual’s homes. At the caucuses, those in attendance indicate their support for the candidates competing for each party’s presidential nomination. In the Democratic party caucuses, votes are cast by raising hands, a sign-in sheet or by splitting into groups supporting each candidate. In the Republican caucuses, votes are cast by secret ballot (each eligible voter in attendance is able to select the candidate of his or her choice on paper without others in attendance knowing how he or she voted). The results of the caucus
A party meeting at the precinct level at which U.S. citizens express their candidate preferences and pick delegates to their county conventions. It is the lowest level of party politics — the real grassroots. These meetings, held in each of the state’s nearly 1,800 precincts, typically draw anywhere from a handful of people in rural areas to hundreds in suburban areas. Q: Who takes part? A: Any U.S. citizen who resides in Iowa and who is old enough to vote in the November general election and is a member of the party is eligible. Traditionally, only a small number of Iowans show up. This year, about 120,000 to 150,000 people are expected to vote in the Democratic caucuses, while 80,000 to 90,000 are likely to participate in the Republican contest. Q: Why is it politically significant? A: Persuading a group of average citizens to show up in support of a candidate is considered a sign of organizational strength. Each candidate courts politicians and activists at the state and local leve
