Voters begin to arrive at caucus locations – schools, churches and small event spaces – ahead of a 19:00 local start time (20:00 ET).
Voters are braving temperatures as low as -23C (-9F) after winter storms blanketed the state in snow and ice.
Iowa is the first major state-wide vote to decide who will be the Republican. presidential candidate for the 2024 election.
There will be over 1,600 caucus sites across Iowa’s 99 counties, and all will be reporting the results of their vote to the state’s Republican Party officials as quickly as possible.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Donald Trump has consistently posted big leads over his nearest rivals in Iowa.
The most recent poll of Iowans who were likely to caucus had Trump at 48%, ahead of Nikki Haley with 20% and Ron DeSantis with 16%.
The candidates have been urging their supporters to brave the weather, with Donald Trump saying: “Even if you vote and then pass away, it’s worth it.”
The Haley campaign says it expects a “strong” result in Iowa, while Ron DeSantis claims sturdy support among “bed-rock” conservatives.
The Donald Trump, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis campaigns and their political action committees (which raise and spend money to elect and defeat candidates) have altogether spent nearly $90 million on ads in Iowa.
Of these, Haley’s campaign and the pro-Haley Stand 4 America Fund PAC have spent the most, totalling about $36 million. The DeSantis campaign and various affiliated PACs follow closely behind with about $35 million spent.
Donald Trump – the distant front-runner in the race – his campaign and the MAGA Inc PAC have spent far less, totalling about $18 million.
Vivek Ramaswamy and Asa Hutchinson also remain in the contest, but are not expected to garner significant support.
The Iowa Republican Party has created a results website, and you’re welcome to join us in obsessively refreshing it all night.
