The 2012 Iowa Republican Caucuses will be held on January third, finally kicking off the nomination process and the presidential election. But few people actually know how the caucuses work, so I took some time and studied the process, and now I'm here to give you a quick go-to-guide.
1. No Candidates File
Unlike any other election in the United States, candidates do not have to file to run in the caucuses, in fact you can show up and vote for anybody, whether they are running or not. It's up to supporters, and surrogates to convince fellow caucus goers to support their candidates, because the ballots are blank.
2. Voting
After you arrive at your local precinct, which might be at the local church or even in someones home, you sign-in and receive a blank secret ballot to vote, but it doesn't end there. Dozens of supporters for various campaigns will be present, attempting to convince you at the last moment to support their man or woman.
3. Delegates
The funny thing is, you don't actually elect any candidate delegates at the caucuses. You elect precinct delegates to the county conventions, who in turn elect delegates to the state convention, who in turn elect delegates to the national convention, who ironically are not bound by the caucuses results at all.
I'm still confused about the whole process, but I know one thing - I'll be watching the results come in a few weeks from now, and I know you will too.
What say you?
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