In February 2016, Iowa and New Hampshire will receive huge media attention, as their residents
are the first to vote for the upcoming presidential nominees.
In Iowa, results come from in-person events called “caucuses”.
But in New Hampshire, the decision is the result of a primary election.
What is the difference between a caucus and a primary?
And how important are these in the general election?
Well, a caucus is essentially a voting party for presidential nominees, held at a designated
public space - like a school or a city center.
The term dates back to the early 1800s when political leaders would meet to deliberate
over president and vice president nominations.
The word “caucus” is actually an Algonquian term meaning a “gathering of tribal chiefs”.
But today, any registered voter can attend a caucus.
In Iowa there are 99 caucuses, with anywhere from 20 to 200 people expected at each meeting.
Caucus attendees discuss their party’s candidates for several hours, then narrow down their
choices through an in-person voting process.
The votes are tallied on-site, and a statewide winner is chosen later that same night.
Candidates who finish on top continue their campaigns well into the election cycle, while
unpopular candidates usually drop out soon after.
Republicans and Democrats hold separate caucuses, and each has their own set of rules.
After opening remarks and discussion, Republicans cast their votes on secret ballots, which
is similar to a general election.
Democrats, however, physically divide into groups according to their preferred candidate,
then try to persuade others to join their side.
After hours of back-and-forth, any group with less than 15% of attendees is eliminated,
forcing those members to opt for one of the remaining candidates.
The group with the most members determines the winning candidate.
Caucuses were once the most common way for states to choose presidential nominees.
However today, only 10 states hold caucuses.
The rest use primaries, which are almost indistinguishable from the voting process in the general election.
Unlike caucuses, which are mass public meetings, primaries rely on secret voting from polling
places and absentee ballots.
Different states hold different types of primaries, but in general they come in two basic forms.
In an open primary, all registered voters can vote for any candidate.
That means that in 2016 a registered republican could vote for Bernie Sanders, or a Democrat
for Ted Cruz.
But in a closed primary, voters can only vote for candidates in their affiliated party,
and independents have to change their party affiliation to vote.
New Hampshire is neither closed nor open because while independents are allowed to vote, registered
republicans and democrats must stick to their party.
This is called a semi-closed primary.
Federal law doesn’t govern how states choose their delegates, so states can decide whether
they want to hold caucuses or primaries.
Since 1970, the country has steadily moved toward primaries, as they consistently yield
greater voter turnout and are widely considered to be a fairer way of choosing delegates.
Because caucuses are funded by the political parties themselves, whereas primary funds
come from the state, some states prefer caucuses as they are cheaper.
Certain states have even switched back and forth.
For instance, Colorado switched to caucuses back in 2000 to save money, but considered
holding a primary for 2016.
Caucuses have historically benefitted certain types of candidates over others, as they tend
to attract the most dedicated voters.
This can ultimately skew the outcome, because average voters or those with time constraints
don’t usually take part in caucuses; while they might be more likely to participate in
primaries.
But in the end, both elections carry equal weight in the larger presidential race.
Caucus and primary results are heavily emphasized in the media but often fail to accurately
predict who will win the presidential or even the party seat.
So, why exactly does Iowa get to host the first caucus in the country?
And what’s so important about that anyway?
To find out, check out our video, How Powerful is Iowa?
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