Caucus Countdown: Day 6

Rock us at the Caucus!

Since 1972, the Iowa caucus has been the first major electoral event in the nominating process for President of the United States. Iowans realize they play an important role in the selection process, and we take this honor very seriously.

The Iowa caucus helps us learn more about the candidates themselves. To win the caucus, a candidate needs to meet with real people. That helps us see who they are as people, not just what they stand for. If the nomination process started in almost any other state, it would consist mostly of television ads rather than interactions with the voters themselves.

The caucus is also important to Iowa. It gives us an opportunity to emphasize issues important to our state that may not otherwise get attention. For example, we can press the candidates to see where they stand on issues like the renewable fuel standard.

If you haven’t caucused before, the process can seem intimidating. The process for Democrats and Republicans differs, but both are pretty straightforward. Republicans can find an overview of their process here and their caucus location here. Democrats can find an overview of their process here and their caucus locations here.

Voting matters because it’s your opportunity to express your opinion on who should govern our country. I’ll be caucusing on February 1. If you’re an Iowan, I hope you will too.