As 2024 starts, so does the voting for the Republican presidential caucus in Iowa. In a U.S. election, Republicans and Democrats hold contests in each state to weed out who their nominee will be in the presidential election in November. Usually, state elections are called primaries, but some states follow a more complex gathering known as a caucus. To attend Iowa’s caucus, you have to be registered as a Republican. The Iowa caucus has been used to see who is the most socially conservative candidate in the Republican field and helps shape the 2024 election.

Some of the candidates are already well known, like former President Donald Trump and the Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis. Well-known in the headlines, President Donald Trump is facing scrutiny over the insurrection at the Capitol (January 6, 2021), his handling of losing the 2020 election, and his New York civil fraud trial. Even though facing many upsets, former President Donald Trump is ahead of his challengers. Due to the fractured field, it is hard for voters to agree on a single alternative, and the tight hold he has on the Republican Party. Former President Donald Trump also holds a strong poll lead in Iowa. Candidates for Iowa’s caucus include Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, who are considered potential rivals to former President Donald Trump. Also running, Vivek Ramaswamy and Asa Hutchinson are considered unlikely to win the Iowa caucus due to the lack of support shown by their declining poll numbers. The Iowa caucus results are used to predict how other states will vote. It is up to Iowa to play a part in determining their party’s nominee.

Update: Former president Donald Trump won this year’s Iowa Caucus by gaining 51% of the votes.