by Seth Michaels, Jan 3, 2008

Tonight marks the first votes of the 2008 presidential election, and the crucial first votes will be cast in Iowa.

Iowans will have the first say in the presidential nomination through their traditional caucus system. Here’s how it works.

A caucus meeting will be held in every one of Iowa’s 1,784 precincts. Eligible voters—any Iowan who will be 18 by Nov. 4, 2008—can show up to participate in the caucus. (When Iowans sign up at a party’s caucus, they also register in that party.) Voters need to show up between 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.—the doors are closed at 7 p.m. Supporters of each candidate gather together in the meeting place. (The Iowa secretary of state has useful links if you’re an Iowan looking for your precinct caucus location.)

In the Republican caucuses, there’s one fairly straightforward vote. Attendees choose their preferred candidate for president by a show of hands. After this vote is counted, results are sent to the state Republican Party, who calculates the results based on statewide vote totals. The Iowa Republican Party explains the caucus process on its website.

The Democratic caucuses have a more complicated process. After the doors are closed, each candidate’s supporters gather together (undecided voters will form their own group). Caucus officials count the total number of attendees, as well as the numbers of supporters in each group. The Iowa caucuses have a 15 percent “viability threshold”—that is, a candidate must have the support of at least 15 percent of voters present to have that figure counted.

Because of the viability standard, there’s an extra element of unpredictability in the Iowa Democratic caucuses: second choices matter. If a candidate doesn’t reach the 15 percent threshold, his or her supporters will have the opportunity to pick their second-choice candidate or join the undecided group. With eight candidates in the Democratic field, it’s almost mathematically certain some voters will have to pick their second-choice candidate. This process, called “realignment,” is an opportunity for candidate supporters to try and convince supporters of other candidates, or undecided voters, to join them.

Once all caucus-goers are organized into groups supporting viable candidates, caucus officials report the results to the state Democratic Party. The actual vote total are not revealed; instead, the results are tabulated through the counties, and the state party determines the allocation of delegates through a county-based formula. The Iowa Democratic Party has a complete guide available explaining the rules of the caucus.

Information on candidates and key issues is available at Working Families Vote 2008.

Unions in Iowa have been active in support of their endorsed candidates. AFSCME has released TV ads in support of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), and the AFT has produced radio ads supporting Clinton. The Fire Fighters (IAFF) union is also active in Iowa in support of Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), including a bus tour featuring Dodd and IAFF members from around the state. The Iowa Postal Workers union (APWU) is supporting former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) in the state. Iowan labor organizations also are involved in the Iowa Fair Trade Campaign.

In addition to AFSCME and the AFT, Clinton has won the endorsement of 10 unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO: AFSCME, AFT, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), the Bricklayers (BAC), the Letter Carriers (NALC), the Machinists (IAM), the Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU), the Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), the Sheet Metal Workers (SMWIA), TCU/IAM, the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the United Transportation Union (UTU). (IAM’s endorsement of Clinton in the Democratic primaries was accompanied by an endorsement of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee in the Republican primaries.)

Three national unions are backing Edwards in the Democratic primaries: the Mine Workers (UMWA), Transport Workers (TWU) and United Steelworkers (USW).

In August, the AFL-CIO Executive Council said it would not yet make an endorsement for a 2008 candidate, freeing AFL-CIO unions to endorse candidates for the caucuses and primaries. The AFL-CIO will continue the Working Families Vote 2008 campaign to help elect a worker-friendly Congress and president.

Tomorrow we’ll have a report on caucus results.

Iowa is only the first of several states to have a say in the selection of the presidential nominee this month. (A complete map and schedule are available at CQ Politics.) Several more states are coming up:

JAN 5:

• Wyoming Republican caucuses.

JAN 8:

• New Hampshire primary. New Hampshire has an open primary system, so voters can take part in either primary. Independent voters may be critical in both parties’ primaries.

JAN 15:

• Michigan primary. In a controversial move, Michigan moved its primary to January in defiance of the national parties’ rules and schedules, and both the Democratic and Republican parties pulled delegates from Michigan as a penalty. Many Democratic candidates won’t appear on the ballot here as a result.

JAN 19:

• Nevada caucuses.
• South Carolina Republican primary.

JAN 26:

• South Carolina Democratic primary.

JAN 29:

• Florida primary. Like Michigan, Florida has been penalized by both national parties for moving its primary up to January.

If nominees for each party aren’t clear by the end of January, candidates face another big test in February. On Feb. 5, some 23 states will have a primary or caucus. By the end of that day, both parties will have picked 55 percent of their delegates to the summer conventions.

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