Iowa caucuses 2024: What is the Iowa caucus, through which Trump once again proved his mettle in American politics?

Former United States President Donald Trump has won decisively in the Iowa caucuses. To win the White House race again in 2024, he has further strengthened his candidacy within the Republican Party. Voters cast ballots amid bone-chilling cold for the Iowa caucuses. Trump is contesting to become the Republican candidate for the third consecutive time in the presidential election. There is a contest for the second place in the Iowa caucus between Florida Governor R. DeSantis and Nikki Haley, the only woman in the race to become the party’s candidate and former United Nations Ambassador. Vivek Ramaswamy announced that he is withdrawing from the race to become the Republican Party’s nominee in the 2024 presidential election after a disappointing performance in the Iowa caucuses. Winning the Iowa caucus unilaterally means that there is no other candidate as popular as Donald Trump within the Republican Party. Donald Trump got 55 thousand 838 votes, on the basis of which he won 20 delegates.

What is the Iowa Caucus and how does it work?

Caucuses and primaries are two ways by which Republicans and governing Democrats choose their candidates. Most American states hold primaries, while some traditional states, such as Iowa, hold caucuses to elect delegates. Public speeches are given by candidates to garner support. Registered Republicans cast their votes via secret paper ballot. No postal ballot is allowed. The votes are then tallied and the winners are announced within a few hours. Registered Republican voters, legal residents of Iowa, gather at the caucus complex two hours before the caucuses begin. Voters must be 18 years of age by the time the elections are held in November. Precincts are designated locations for Republican in-person voting within Iowa. This year, there are more than 1,600 such locations, particularly school buildings, churches and community centres. People who are not registered voters or registered Republicans can also participate in the caucuses. But they will have to register in person at their premises.

What is the difference between primaries and caucuses?

States may hold either primaries or caucuses as part of the presidential nominating process. Both processes allocate delegates based on the percentage of votes received by the candidates. The candidate with the most delegates becomes the party’s contender. Caucuses are run by the state party, while primaries are run by the state. A caucus is a political meeting, unlike the primary, which is an election.

Why are the Iowa caucuses important?

If we look at the numbers alone, the Republican caucuses will not be an indicator of who the Republican nominee will be. Iowa has been allocated just 40 delegates to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this summer, just 1.6 percent of the total. However, since the caucus is unique. So candidates can take advantage of the momentum gained from its results as they head into the New Hampshire primary next week. The caucus results are the first litmus test of the viability and momentum of Trump and the other candidates in the race. They can also be helpful in assessing the strength of support for candidates. But the Iowa caucuses do not accurately predict the ultimate winner of the Republican or Democratic Party candidates for the presidential race. Mike Huckabee in 2008, Ron Paul in 2012, and Ted Cruz in 2016 won the Republican caucuses. None of them won the party’s primary race, with John McCain, Mitt Romney and Donald Trump representing the GOP in presidential elections in those years. In 2020, Pete Buttigieg won the Democratic caucuses in Iowa. Joe Biden, who ultimately won the party’s nomination, finished fourth.