What is a caucus and why the Iowa caucus is key to starting the race to win the US elections.

The long race that will end on November 5 with the elections in the United States officially started on Monday.

Republicans had their first day of voting to choose who they want to represent their party in the presidential elections against the current president, Democrat Joe Biden.

And they did so in Iowa, a state where the electoral process is different from that of other states, and where estimates indicate that Trump won by a wide margin.

At BBC Mundo we present you with a simple guide so you can understand the process that starts this Monday in Iowa.

What is a caucus?

Most states hold primaries to nominate a presidential candidate, but… caucuses follow a different and more complicated process.

The primaries are a kind of mini-election. Voters cast their ballots in person, in person or by mail, over the course of Election Day.

Instead, caucuses require party members to attend a location in person at a specific time.

In schools, community centers and churches across the state, representatives of the candidates give speeches before voters cast their votes by writing down the name of their preferred candidate.

Most states abandoned caucuses in favor of primaries, but the Republican Party of Iowa is sticking with this system, as are Nevada, Idaho, Missouri, North Dakota, Hawaii, Wyoming and Kentucky.

Who are the candidates?

The Republican race came down to four main candidates: The former president Donald Trumpthe governor of Florida Ron DeSantisthe former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and the biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who announced late Monday that he was suspending his campaign.

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson is also running, while former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie dropped out a week ago.

Trump is dominating the polls and throughout the campaign he has maintained that he is aiming for a landslide victory in the caucuses and primaries.

His main rivals in Iowa have been DeSantis, who has tried to move to Trump’s right by focusing his campaign on culture war issues, while Haley has taken a more moderate stance on abortion and foreign policy issues.

Trump regularly repeats false claims about his supposed victory in the 2020 election and mobilizes his supporters by accusing the Biden administration of staging a witch hunt against him over pending lawsuits.

Why is the Iowa caucus so important?

The goal that Republicans in Iowa are fighting for is minimal. The candidates distribute only 40 delegatesrepresenting just over 1% of the total number at stake ahead of the Republican National Convention in July.

However, either candidate’s victory in Iowa could boost the campaign at a crucial early stage and potentially boost their victory in the primaries as well.

In addition, The Iowa caucuses are the first time the country can see how a candidate fares in a real election. and can attract media attention.

Trump has dominated the Republican field since announcing his candidacy in November 2022. His rivals are struggling to make a dent in his support among the party’s increasingly populist base.

Republican pollster Whit Ayers told the BBC that “survival and momentum” will be key for anti-Trump candidates in the race.

He noted that Haley would gain significant momentum if he managed to defeat DeSantis and solidify second place.

“Donors want to support the winner. “If you can’t get votes, you can’t get money.”

Can anyone beat Trump?

The 77-year-old Trump has a wide lead in the polls over his nearest rivals in Iowa.

He appears as the first option among 48% of likely caucusgoers. Haley is in second place with 20%, while DeSantis falls to third place with 16%.

Ayers indicated that voters can be divided into three categories: people who will never vote for Trump, fervent supporters of his agenda and a third category interested in alternatives.

“About half the party is voters who say, ‘Maybe Trump,’” he added.

“At least they are interested in who the alternatives are, perhaps they are concerned about the burden the former president carries, his focus on the past, his concern with grievances rather than policy. So they are open to options.”

Can Iowa predict the winners?

Iowa has a poor record when it comes to choosing the eventual nominee, especially when it comes to Republicans. And Trump is proof of this.

In 2016, he came in second, behind evangelical Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Neither of Trump’s two predecessors as Republican candidates won Iowa.

In fact, George W. Bush was the last Republican president outside the White House to win both the state and the nomination in 2000.

Ayers said Iowa’s problem in choosing candidates reflects that its population is “completely different from much of the rest of the country.”

He explained that there are “many more evangelicals on the Republican side than there are nationally.” And in the Democrat “there are almost no African Americans in Iowa,” a key pillar of the Democratic electoral coalition.

Why don’t the Democrats hold a caucus in January?

This year, Democrats chose to prioritize states with more racial diversity than Iowa, which is majority white.

On the other hand, The party’s campaign begins on February 3 in South Carolina and on February 6 in Nevada.

Democratic voters in Iowa will mail in their votes and it will be counted on March 5.

However, little competition is expected on the Democratic side, which will support President Biden.

Republican voting in Iowa begins shortly after 7 p.m. local time this Monday, in more than 1,700 precincts across the state.

The results will be sent to the Iowa Republican Party and a winner is expected to be announced hours after the election. (JO)