The start of the race for the White House will be given by Iowa, this Monday, January 15. The small rural Midwestern state is hosting the Republican caucus, to decide whether former US President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis or former UN Ambassador Nikki Halley will be their party’s champion in the presidential election on November 5, 2024. In the coming weeks, caucuses or primaries will follow one another in the different American states, both for the Republicans and the Democrats. How can we differentiate these two voting methods?
When registering to vote in their state, a citizen must identify themselves as a Democrat, Independent or Republican. If his state chooses the caucus, he will have to attend a meeting of voters gathered in a public place who vote most of the time by show of hands. If the state chooses the primaries, as in the majority of cases, then it will have to vote by secret ballot.
Both types of ballots designate delegates who will have the task of nominating the candidate of each party this summer. Le Figaro explains the subtleties between the two voting methods which follow complex rules.
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The least known voting method to the general public, the “caucus” brings together voters in schools, churches, community centers, pubs or even in a private home. Coming from the Native American language, Algonquin (“he who advises”) is a relic of participatory direct democracy.
Only activists from each party can participate in the hundreds or even thousands of meetings which take place simultaneously while proxies are prohibited.
The method differs between the two parties. The Republicans keep it simple with a secret ballot on a sheet of paper and the name of the candidate. For Democrats, it’s more devious. The supporters of each candidate gather in a corner of the room and count themselves. If a group represents 15% of the room, the candidate is deemed viable. During the second round, the group designates delegates according to its size.
This mode of operation is at work in 15 states. Alaska, Colorado, South Dakota, Hawaii, Iowa (which has opened the nomination race for fifty years), Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming. Some states have different operations for Democrats, since some hold caucuses unlike Republicans. We find the District of Columbia, Idaho and Nebraska.
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Deemed archaic or even undemocratic by many American citizens, the caucus is used less and less in favor of primaries, which are simpler to understand in their overall functioning. Supporters, whatever their political affiliation, go to a polling station and check the box for the candidate of their choice without having previously exchanged views during debates. Like the caucus, primaries may or may not restrict their voting method to party members only.
