Iowa Caucus today: All you need to know about US Presidential elections 2016

The race for the United States Presidential elections 2016 has begun. The electoral process will be initiated with the Iowa caucus on Monday where people of Iowa will elect delegates who, in turn, will participate in the nomination process to shortlist the candidate who will run the final race to becoming the President of United States of America.

With several presidential primaries and caucuses scheduled for almost half of the year, the entire US electoral process may seem a little puzzling to people. So here's all you need to know to understand what will unfold in the coming months:

What are Presidential Primary elections and caucus?

In order to elect a Presidential nominee for the major parties, every state in the US is given a chance to vote for their favourite candidate or party. Each state holds either a primary election or a caucus. 

Primary elections
In a primary election, registered voters of a particular state can participate to elect the candidate of the state parties. Similar to the general elections, voting in primaries is conducted through a secret ballot. There are two types of primaries: closed and open. 

Closed: In a closed primary, the voter registered for a particular party can only participate in the primary organised by that specific party. For example, a voter registered as a Democrat can only participate in a primary organised by the Democratic party. 

Open: In an open primary, the registered voter can vote in either of the primaries organised by the parties regardless of the voter's party membership. For example, a registered voter with the Republican party can vote in the primary organised by the Democratic party. The voter, however, can not participate in more than one primary election. 

Primary ballot   Reuters

What is a Caucus? 

A caucus is organised and financed by the political parties of the state, the state government does not interfere in such an election. In a caucus, a particular party announces the date, time and location of the meeting where people gather to cast their vote. A caucus is held in a private area where any voter who is registered for the party can attend. This system is more transparent and does not involve a secret ballot. After much discussion and debate, which can last for hours, people select their choice of candidates by a show of hands.

Caucus system, Reuters.

To get a visual understanding of the US Presidential electoral process, watch this video:

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The series of caucuses and primary elections for the presidential nomination begin from Monday with the Iowa Caucus.

Why is the Iowa caucus considered important?

The Iowa caucus is the most hyped electoral contest in the United States. Why? Because it is always the first state ballot with which the electoral process begins. The Iowa caucuses have been the major electoral event of the country since the 1970s. The caucuses in Iowa garner enormous media attention and set the pace for the upcoming elections. The caucuses help determine which candidates are in the lead in the initial stage and also help the candidates test waters. 

The Iowa Caucus 2016 will begin on February 1 and the meetings will take place in almost 1,744 precincts across the state of Iowa. Most of the locations for the caucus meeting include schools, churches and libraries. 

Schedule for coming primaries and caucuses: There will be primaries and caucuses from February to early June 2016. 

Iowa Caucus: February 1
New Hampshire: Hampshire 9
Nevada Caucus, South Carolina: February 23, 27
Super Tuesday: 15 states: March 1

What is Super Tuesday?

Super Tuesday refers to a particular Tuesday in the month of February or March in the United States where the greatest number of states hold  primary elections to select the party delegates for the national convention. You can see the entire schedule here.

Primaries and caucuses just a precursor

These state elections, however, are just a precursor to the main event. After the states choose their delegates within the period of six months, that is,after the primaries and the caucuses are over, these delegates then gather for the main national conventions of their parties—Democratic or Republican—where they cast their official vote for the party's presidential nominee. Each parties' national convention is where the presidential candidate representing the party in the election is decided. Super delegates also come to this convention.

Who are Super delegates?
 
Super delegates comprise of the top members of the parties and the former presidents. They can cast their vote for whoever they want. 

Main Contenders

Democratic Party Candidates: Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Malley

Republican Party Candidates: Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Rick Santorum, Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee, Carly Fiorina, John Kasich, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Jim Gilmore