Everything you need to know about the Iowa caucuses ahead of the 2024 presidential race

Much of the U.S. political world is looking toward the Iowa caucuses in 2024.

The caucuses mark the first statewide vote on a field of candidates seeking the major parties' presidential nominations, effectively acting as a starting gun for the 2024 election.

But Iowa's caucuses aren't like a typical election, where you show up and cast a ballot.

Here's what you need to know:

2024 Iowa caucuses:Where and when are presidential candidates visiting Iowa?

What are the Iowa caucuses?

Members of Iowa's political parties gather for caucus meetings every presidential election cycle. Caucuses are held locally across the state, with members attending to elect local party leadership, discuss the party's platform and support a presidential candidate.

Democrats and Republicans hold their caucuses separately, and with different rules.

In 2024, Iowa will no longer be the first state on the primary election calendar for both major parties. While Republicans will still recognize Iowa as first in the nation, the national Democratic Party has opted for South Carolina as its first state.

When are the Iowa caucuses?

Republicans will caucus Jan. 15.

How do the Iowa caucuses work?

THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUSES

Picking a candidate: Participants are asked to cast a vote for their preferred candidate for president. The 40 delegates who will represent Iowa at the Republican National Convention will be divided proportionally to the statewide vote.

Tallying votes: The votes are counted and the chair announces the number of delegates to be elected by the precinct to attend the county convention. That number is predetermined by the county party according to the number of votes cast for the Republican candidate for governor in 2022, which was Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Selecting delegates: The delegates are nominated based on the candidates receiving the most votes and confirmed by all caucus participants.

THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUSES

Iowa Democrats have dramatically changed the way they caucus in 2024.

In 2020, Democrats gathered at 7 p.m. on caucus night to physically stand in corners of the room to be counted on a first and second alignment. But that process is all gone now.

In an effort to simplify their process and make it more inclusive, Iowa Democrats have moved to an entirely mail-in system of casting their presidential preferences. Starting Nov. 1, Iowa Democrats could request an absentee presidential preference card, which functions like a ballot, that they can fill out and return to the state party until March 5, when results will be announced.

The party will still hold in-person caucuses on Jan. 15, but only to conduct other party business unrelated to picking a presidential nominee. 

Where are the Iowa caucuses held?

Caucuses are usually held at local public buildings, like schools, churches, union halls, fire stations. They can also be held at private buildings or homes depending on the needs and makeup of a precinct.

There are nearly 1,700 precincts total across the state, though sometimes different precincts will caucus in different rooms at the same location.

More:Where do I caucus? Republicans release Iowa Caucus sites for presidential nominations

Who can caucus in Iowa?

You can caucus if you meet the following requirements:

• You must be eligible to vote in the state of Iowa.
• You will be 18 years old by Nov. 5, 2024. That means if you're 17 and turn 18 between the date of the caucuses and the general election, you can caucus.
• You must be registered as a Republican to participate in the Republican caucus or as a Democrat to participate in the Democratic caucus. If you're registered under a third party or no party, you won't be able to caucus, unless you change your registration to Republican or Democrat, which you can do on caucus night.

How are results calculated in the Iowa caucuses?

Once caucus proceedings are done at a precinct, the results are immediately reported to the state party. The state party will verify the results and report them to the public and to news outlets.

Delegates elected during the caucuses will later attend a series of conventions in Iowa and will later be narrowed to a group sent to the national party conventions. The Republican and Democratic presidential nominees are confirmed during those national conventions, which usually take place over the summer.

Which candidates can I support in the Iowa caucuses?

Republican candidates for president include former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Gov. and U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Texas businessman Ryan Binkley.

Candidates who have dropped out include: Michigan businessman Perry Johnson, conservative commentator Larry Elder, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, former Vice President Mike Pence, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, and former Texas U.S. Rep. Will Hurd.

More:Iowa Democrats put 3 presidential candidates' names on mail-in caucus cards. Who's named:

Democratic candidates include President Joe Biden, U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and author Marianne Williamson.