Trump or someone else? The first Republicans called to vote to nominate their party’s candidate for the November presidential election will do so on Monday in Iowa.
This small rural Midwestern state is the first to hold caucuses, meetings of voters affiliated with a party.
“The road to the White House and to removing Joe Biden from the presidency begins here in Iowa,” the local Republican Party proudly exclaims on its website.
The Democrats are also organizing their own caucus, but this year, the vote to confirm the inauguration of President Joe Biden will take place by mail, until February 19.
Even though it has less than 1% of the population of the United States, Iowa has held a prominent place on the American political scene for more than 50 years, as it sets an early tone in the primary season.
He will confirm whether the polls are right to give Donald Trump a clear favorite in the race for the Republican nomination.
Schools, churches, theaters, fire stations, and even private homes: Republican voters will gather in small groups in nearly 1,700 constituencies.
Only those officially registered as Republicans will be able to participate in the caucuses, but it will be possible to do this registration the same evening.
The process will officially begin at 7:00 p.m. (01:00 GMT Tuesday) with a prayer and recitation of the “pledge of allegiance to the flag and the republic of the United States.” Representatives of the candidates will give a speech in favor of their champion before participants write their choice on a piece of paper.
The weather, however, risks dealing a blow to participation since the American Midwest, including Iowa, is currently experiencing a spell of freezing cold and heavy snowfall.
Iowa will be represented by 40 delegates at the Republican convention in Milwaukee (Wisconsin) in July, when the party’s candidate for the November presidential election will be officially designated.
A number to put into perspective with other states, such as Texas which will send 162 delegates to the convention.
In 2016, Texas Senator Ted Cruz narrowly beat Donald Trump and won eight delegates, compared to seven for the future president.
In addition to the billionaire, five candidates will be in the running this year, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley.
Eight days after Iowa, it will be the turn of the Republicans in New Hampshire to vote. The calendar will then accelerate to March 5 and “Super Tuesday”, when around fifteen states including Texas and California will simultaneously organize their primaries.
It remains to be seen whether Donald Trump will not have already crushed all competition by this date.