Unlike regular elections, the Iowa caucuses require voters to gather in person in small groups at churches, schools and community centers, where they cast ballots in secret after campaign representatives speak.
Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufman said those speeches could play a big role this time around because candidates have had to cancel many events because of the weather. Caucus meetings will begin at 7pm (12pm Tuesday EST) and results are expected a few hours after that.
Another potential wild card: An unknown number of Democratic voters in the state have registered as Republicans to try to influence the caucus results.
“I just want to be able to look back and say I did everything I could to prevent Donald Trump from getting elected,” said Tony Van Voorhis, 65, one of those crossover voters, who plans to support Haley.
Pedestrians wait to cross the street during a winter storm in Iowa before the caucuses.credit: Bloomberg
Iowa Democrats will hold their own caucuses to conduct party business, but they will not vote for other presidential candidates today because the party has adjusted its nominating calendar to put states with more diverse populations ahead of Iowa this year. They will cast their votes by mail, with the results announced in March.
There was a record turnout at the 2016 Republican caucus, with about 187,000 votes cast, or nearly 29 percent of registered Republican voters in the state. Republican turnout was closer to 18 percent in 2012. Trump's grip on his most loyal supporters could give him an advantage if frigid conditions convince some voters to stay home.
“Trump has been proven to get things done,” said Austin Rush, 30, a general contractor from Fort Dodge, who expected a strong turnout. “It's Iowa. We're used to the cold.”
Iowa has historically played a large role in presidential campaigns due to its early standing on the campaign calendar.
But in 2008, 2012 and 2016 – the last three competitive races – the winner of the Iowa Republican caucuses was unable to secure the nomination.
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Once a political battleground, the state is now seen as reliably Republican in presidential elections.
Trump has maintained a decisive lead in national polls despite facing four separate indictments, including state and federal prosecutions centered on his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden.
Trump has continued to falsely claim that Biden's 2020 win was the result of voter fraud.
Reuters
