What is the Iowa caucus?

The Iowa Caucus is an electoral event in which residents of the U.S. state of Iowa meet in precinct caucuses in all of Iowa's 1,681 precincts and elect delegates to the corresponding conventions in each of the state's 99 counties. ... About 1% of the nation's delegates are chosen by the Iowa State Convention. read more

The Iowa Caucuses are quadrennial electoral events in which members of the Democratic and Republican parties in the U.S. state of Iowa meet to select delegates who will vote for their party's nominee in the United States presidential election at the party convention. read more

Iowa caucuses: 5 things to watch But along with Iowa's first-in-the-nation privileges come responsibility. After all, the state's discerning political activists can make or break campaigns painstakingly pieced together over years in a single night. read more

And the Iowa caucus is so important that some candidates bow out of the race if they do poorly in Iowa. A strong showing in Iowa also sends a message to the national party leaders. Each party seeks a strong contender for the White House, and a good response from Iowans helps cement a candidate's chances to win the national nomination. read more