Here’s How The Iowa Caucuses Work—And What Time To Expect Results

Topline Initial results of the Iowa caucuses are expected as soon as an hour after the nominating process begins at 8 p.m. EST ( 7 p.m. Iowa time) on Monday, —though the process is more complicated than a straightforward vote. Former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Indianola, Iowa, on Jan.

14, a day before the ... [+] Iowa caucuses. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) Key Facts Iowa caucus goers must register at their respective precincts (there are 1,657 total throughout the state’s 99 counties) by 6:30 p.m. local time Monday. The caucus is closed, meaning only registered Republicans can vote.

The process is conducted by secret ballot and counted at the meeting before the results are submitted to the Iowa Republican Party and released to the public on its website. Timing varies depending on the size of the precinct and how many people show up to vote: in the smallest precincts, where there are sometimes only a handful of caucus goers, results can be available within 30 minutes after the process begins, Iowa Republican Party consultant Patrick Stewart told reporters, while results in the larger precincts can take up to a few hours.

Surprising Fact In the past, the final results have taken weeks to be finalized. Iowa’s 2020 Democratic caucuses ended in a recount, and the final tally took more than three weeks to be tabulated, following technical glitches and concerns about accuracy that led to former Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price’s resignation.

The Iowa Democratic Party eventually called the race for U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who beat Sen. Bernie Sanders (I Vt.) by .04 percentage points. Big Number 53%. That’s the share of Iowans who plan to cast their votes for former President Donald Trump, according to FiveThirtyEight’s polling average .

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley stands at 19%, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, with 16%. Key Background Monday is likely to be a fateful night for DeSantis, who has been struggling in polls in recent months as Haley has made inroads on his second place position. The Iowa caucuses, which don’t always predict the winner of the nominating contest, often give candidates a boost in subsequent primary contests by generating media attention, and can prompt under performing candidates to drop out of the race.

In addition to Trump, Haley and DeSantis, former biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Texas pastor Ryan Binkley are on the GOP primary ballot in Iowa. Christie dropped out of the race last week, citing concerns that his candidacy could propel Trump..