Iowa Caucuses: An Only Better Guide to Caucusing in 2020
It is 2020! YES! We made it!
In 2020, we get to decide what kind of president we want leading our great country further in to the new decade. This is important.
The Iowa Caucuses kick off the presidential primary season with the first major contest. The Iowa Caucuses are seen as a strong indicator for how a presidential candidate will do as we approach Election Day. This year, the caucuses are scheduled to take place on February 3.
You must be registered to vote to participate in the caucuses. To register, you have to be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Iowa or at least 17.5 years old (18 by Election Day). I'm sorry, but you cannot register if you are a convicted felon (unless your rights have been restored), have been judged mentally incompetent to vote by a court, or claim the right to vote in any other place. Get registered to vote here.
As a Democrat, the process is a big conversation. You start out standing in an area designated for who you want to vote for. After people get gathered, you talk about why you chose the person you voted for and share information with others to help them finalize their decisions. Throughout the time, people will shift candidates after learning more about other candidates. To remain in the process, a candidate must maintain 15% of the votes to be considered viable and move on. The process will continue until the remaining viable candidates are awarded delegates. In 2020, the Democratic Party introduced virtual caucusing to the process for those that are unable to venture out or have issues with crowds.
As a Republican, your process is more brief. You cast your votes by ballot, say hi to your neighbors and then you go home.
Before you caucus. It's important to learn about the candidates. I've been using Vote Smart as an online tool to help me understand more. Vote Smart offers facts and positions for each of the candidates. There are tools to help you determine which candidate aligns more closely with your positions on a dozen of the most pressing issues facing our nation. It also calls out whenever a politician's comments have been proven false by a reputable fact-checking organization. You have the opportunity to read their biographical information, view their interest group ratings and endorsements, check out their campaign financing, and see how the candidates have voted based on the bills that are important to you. Visit Vote Smart by clicking here.
I've got some work to do leading up the caucus night. There's a lot of information out there. I just want to remain informed and seek the truth in all of the information out there.
Wish me luck.
Be sure to follow me on IG for stories leading up to and on Caucus night @sarahonlybetter !! Thanks for stopping by!
Sarah