The Iowa caucuses are an electoral event in which residents of the U.S. state of Iowa meet in precinct caucuses in all of Iowa's 1784 precincts and elect delegates to the corresponding county conventions. There are 99 counties in Iowa and thus 99 conventions.

The Iowa Caucuses are noteworthy for the amount of media attention they receive during U.S. presidential election years. Since 1972, the Iowa caucuses have been the first major electoral event of the nominating process for President of the United States. The Iowa caucuses have served as an early indication of which candidates for President may win the nomination at that party's national convention. The 2008 Caucuses were pivotal to President Barack Obama’s campaign.

These county conventions then select delegates for both Iowa's Congressional District Convention and the State Convention, which eventually choose the delegates for the presidential nominating conventions (the national conventions). The 2012 Iowa Caucuses are scheduled to take place on February 6, 2012.

Links to more information about the Iowa Caucus

The Partnership's Media Room 
Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau caucus page
Iowa Politics
Iowa Republican Party
Iowa Democratic Party
Des Moines Register Caucus page

 

The Greater Des Moines Partnership is a non-partisan economic and community development organization that does not endorse any political candidates or donate funding to any political candidate campaigns.