On February 1, 2016 voters across Iowa will head to 1,681 precincts to vote for a candidate, thus officially kick-starting the 2016 race for the White House.
This process, known as a ‘caucus’, is different from a traditional election. A caucus is simply a meeting of party members where they choose their presidential delegates.
It has been under debate whether the level of support a candidate receives in Iowa is a reasonable indication of how they will perform across the country. But the State has seen some historic moments. President Barack Obama’s 2007 speech in Iowa ultimately changed the course of his campaign. And while George W. Bush was the last Republican winner in the State in 2000, he went on to win the nomination and then the Presidency.
How does it work?
Each party caucus works differently.
For the Republican party, it is a simple secret ballot system. Attendees will write the name of the candidate of their choice on a blank paper and the total will be tallied up.
The Democratic caucus is far more complicated. There is no secret ballot system inside a precinct. Voters have to physically go stand with other supporters of their preferred candidate. A count is then taken and if a candidate gets less than 15 per cent of the total attendees, he/she is eliminated and the voters are asked to move and pick their second choice.
Here are a few top candidates from each party:
