This Monday the Iowa caucuses are held, which begins the presidential race in the United States

Although proportionally Iowa has a minimal decision quota, this Monday’s caucuses are one of the most important events in the United States presidential race, a frontal fight between candidates that serves as the first screening of survivors and that this year will have a surprise guest: the extreme cold.

Although until 2024 Republicans and Democrats held caucuses in Iowa, this year the Democrats – with only one real candidate, Joe Biden – have decided to change their calendar. The fight will therefore be in the Republican Party and, according to the polls, it already has a winner: donald trump.

The governor of Florida, Ron DeSantisand the former US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haleyare the most likely to take on Trump within the Republican Party.

In caucuses like this Monday you can vote canyone over 18 years old on election day, who is registered in a district as a Republican Party voter or who registers that same night at special tables located in the voting centers.

While primaries – the other alternative in which parties choose their candidates – are similar to an election day, with citizens voting for hours, caucuses are one day and at a specific time. Next Monday the 15th, at 7:00 p.m. (2:00 a.m. in the Basque Country), in the case of Iowa.

Unlike a primary election, caucuses are not organized by the state, but by the parties themselves, and are carried out by volunteers.

Important appointments until November 5

Tradition indicates that the electoral race starts in Iowa, in the case of the Republicans, on January 15. Eight days later, on January 23, it will be the turn of New Hampshirewith double primaries to which the followers of the two major parties are invited, which will allow us to see what the first trends are.

A date marked in red throughout this calendar will continue to be known as ‘super tuesday‘. On March 5, more than a dozen states, including California and Texas, are called to vote on a day that usually establishes a turning point, to the extent that leaving ‘Super Tuesday’ without options usually implies premature abandonment. and, on the other hand, an accumulation of victories consolidates candidacies.

Technically, the process lasts until early June, although results are often assumed weeks and even months in advance. By the end of March, more than half of the delegates will have been distributed and, in 2020, Senator Bernie Sanders announced his departure from the Democratic primaries at the beginning of April and paved the way for Joe Biden to win the electoral candidacy, while that on the Republican side there was no rival for the then president, Donald Trump.

The scenario is now reversed, since it is Biden who asserts his place in the Oval Office and has the race clear. Among the Republicans, on the other hand, the swords are raised, although only a handful of candidates aspire to overthrow the favorite Trump, who aspires to repeat the electoral confrontation of November 2020 despite the numerous judicial fronts he has open.

To run in the primaries, no requirements are established other than those contemplated in the Constitution to be president of the United States: having been born in the North American country and lived there for at least 14 years and being over 35 years of age. The law does not establish limits for accused people like Trump.

The process will culminate with the elections that will be held on November 5th.