What’s a caucus? Iowa voters preview what to expect with Missouri Republican switch from primary format
INDIANOLA, Ia. (KCTV) - In the run-up to the Iowa caucuses on Monday most GOP candidates are traveling across the state to make the final push to get voters to show up for voting Monday night.
Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, and Vivek Ramaswamy each made three stops at several locations, but Dubuque was a stop for all of them.
Donald Trump bucked the trend with just one event in the Des Moines suburb of Indianola on Sunday.
Enthusiasts lined up outside Simpson College’s campus center well before the rally began. Doors opened at 9 a.m. for the noon event. The wind chill was 43 below. Yet, some staked a place near the front as early as 7 a.m.
Some have been to dozens of Trump rallies and described the early-bird experience it a bit like tailgating or following a touring rock band.
“Imagine your favorite band coming within 45 minutes of you and it’s free,” said Garrett Beaird, who came from Pella, Iowa. “Would you go? Absolutely.”
KCTV5 went to Iowa for the caucuses to get a feel for what a caucus looks like. That’s because Missouri’s GOP, in a rare move, will be holding a caucus in March instead of its usual primary to nominate a candidate for president. Some of the Iowans braving the cold outside the rally site had caucused only once before. Others were seasoned pros. They described what happens.
“You go with a group of people. You talk about and say why you’re ing the person you are, said Kathy DeAngelo, who lives in Indianola. “And then you go vote for the person that’s going to be the strongest to win for the president.”
The GOP caucuses in Iowa occur in many locations assigned by precincts. It’s unclear how many locations will be set up in Missouri. Anyone interested in voting has to come to their designated location at a set time. That can exclude people with other commitments, but there are positives too.
“A primary, you go in and vote, you can’t discuss anything per se,” said Marc Smiarowski, who’s from Humeston, Iowa. “At a caucus, you get together with your friends and neighbors and come to a consensus on who you’d like to see in the White House.”
“It’s a little more friendly than listening to it on the TV,” said Kailey Johnson of Chariton, Iowa.
She’s talking about “mainstream media” and the barrage of TV ads paid for by candidates. She’s more prone to trust neighbors.
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