Who will take Iowa?

The American president is not voted directly by the people but by an Electoral College, which has members from each of its 50 states.

8226; How does the US elect its president?

The American president is not voted directly by the people but by an Electoral College, which has members from each of its 50 states. The number of electors that each state sends depends on its population. For instance, California, the most populous state, has 55 electoral votes and the District of Columbia has 3. There are 538 electors in the College and to win, the president needs the support of 270.

8226; Don8217;t individual voters count?

Yes, they do, though indirectly. A year before the president is elected, voters get to decide the delegates who will select the candidate at their party8217;s national convention. This is done through the primaries and the caucuses. Much later, on Election Day8212;November 4, 20088212;people vote for the electors for a particular candidate. But this popular vote is limited to the state. If, for instance, Clinton wins the popular vote in Minnesota, she gets all the electoral votes of the state.

8226; How does the Electoral College work?

In all but two states, Maine and Nebraska, the College goes with the winner of the national popular vote. That can also be a major drawback of the system. In 2000, Al Gore won 48.38 per cent of votes nationwide compared to George Bush8217;s 47.87 per cent. But Florida8217;s Electoral College swung it for Bush when all its 25 seats went to Bush because he had won the popular vote in the state. In the end, he got 271 electoral college votes compared to Gore8217;s 266.

8226; What are primaries and caucuses?

The primaries and caucuses set the stage for the party convention, which is held a few months before the election. It is at these national conventions that the delegates for each party select the final candidates. There are two ways to decide which delegate goes to the national convention: primary elections like the one in New Hampshire on January 8 or caucuses like the one Iowa will hold on January 3. In a primary, the voter chooses the party8217;s delegates to the National Convention through the ballot. But in a caucus or 8220;mass meeting8221;, local supporters of various presidential contenders discuss the candidates. Then, a vote determines who gets to attend the party meeting for the next highest tier. There are usually three or four such meetings before delegates to the national convention are chosen.

8226; What is the Iowa caucus and why is it important?

Iowa prides itself in being the first in the nation to set off the election process and candidates see its result as influential in other states. It8217;s important for the tiny state because they then hold considerable clout in the nominating process.

Story continues below this ad

8226; How have the candidates fared in the run-up to the Iowa caucus?

The latest New York Times poll in Iowa had Barack Obama leading with 30 per cent support, Hillary Clinton with 26 per cent and John Edwards third with 22 per cent. Clinton remains the frontrunner nationally but in Iowa, her rivals8217; stepped up campaign against her has meant that she looks vulnerable here. It is important to note that in Iowa voters choose their second-choice candidate too. Among the Republicans, Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, is seen as the most electable candidate in his party by voters nationally. But in Iowa, he trails former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.