Voting booth.Photo: Blend Images - Hill Street Studios
Iowa Republicans on Monday will participate in the first caucus of the 2024 presidential nominating process amid record cold temperatures and blizzard conditions.
Already, candidates havecancelled eventsplanned for Monday due to the weather. Still, the high-stakes vote is slated to take place as scheduled, with Republican candidates includingDonald Trumpimploring their supporters to caucus despite the record low temperatures.
The Iowa caucus will mark the first nominating contest of 2024 for Republicans, all of whom are vying for their party’s nomination. Below, the details of the caucus and how the weather could impact the process.
Who Can Vote in the Iowa Caucus?
The candidates include former President Trump, former South Carolina Gov.Nikki Haley, Florida Gov.Ron DeSantis, and tech entrepreneurVivek Ramaswamy.
How Does the Iowa Caucus Work?
Candidates will then receive a number of delegates equal to their share of the overall vote (there are 40 Republican delegates up for grabs in Iowa total).
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How Will the Weather Impact the Caucus?
Blizzard conditions in Iowa disrupted candidate events in the days leading up to the caucus, with the event expected to be the state’scoldest caucuses in history, according to CNN’s reporting. The weather is sure to impact turnout, which is already expected to be low due to the in-person nature of the caucus. Still, the winner of the caucus is expected to gain momentum leading into the other nominating contests held around the country in the lead-up to the general election.
As theBBCreports, all of the candidates continued to implore their supporters to vote despite the life-threatening conditions across the state, parts of which will see windchill as low as -40 degrees.
“I know it’s asking a lot of you to go out and caucus,” Haley told supporters in a town hall event held via telephone, the outlet reports. “I will be out there in the cold.”
Trump took a stronger tone, telling Iowa voters at a campaign event: “You can’t sit home. If you’re sick as a dog, you say, ‘Darling, I gotta make it.' Even if you vote and then pass away, it’s worth it, remember.”
source: people.com
