Michigan doesn’t have caucuses, they go with the standard primary system and because of that many here may not know exactly how caucuses work and why Iowa is so important.
Michiganders go to a polling booth and vote secretly and can go anytime during the day.
In caucus states like Iowa, it is very different.
“It’s at a set time,” says Christian Peterson, history professor at Ferris State University, “You have to go. You have to show up.”
Voters show up to a high school gym or other large area and physically stand where they want to vote.
“People go and congregate with their preferred candidate for president,” says Peterson.
That’s the first round of voting.
“You have to get at least 15% in order to be called a viable candidate,” says Peterson.
In the second round, the lower candidates fall off and their delegates are up for grabs. After that round, we end up with a winner.
“People would be like, ‘Well why don’t you come over here and join us? Aww your candidate didn’t get 15%? Well come join us. No we want you! We’re a better candidate,’ there’s a lot of on-the-ground jockeying,” says Peterson.
As for Republicans, they still caucus and they use a more private process but it isn’t as crucial this year, with an incumbent in the office.
The Democrats have a tougher decision.
“We’ve got to make absolutely sure that we win in November,” says candidate Pete Buttigieg.
While the Iowa winner isn’t guaranteed a spot in the general election, it can send a message to later primaries, like the one in Michigan, on who really has a chance.
“It matters because it impacts the dynamics of any election,” says Peterson, “Does it always predict the winner? No, but in and of itself, it’s still an important moment.”
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