Last week I took my kids on a field trip with our home school group to learn about the upcoming presidential election, and in particular. The Iowa Caucus, which will be held on Monday, February 1st. I learned so much! (Again I asked myself the question, “Who is learning more from this homeschooling situation, the kids or me?” 🙂 ).
Being from Iowa, I was especially interested in what we learned about The Iowa Caucus. A few quick facts:
- 3 states in our nation, including Iowa hold a caucus instead of a primary. The difference is that a caucus is hosted and run by political parties while a primary is conducted by the state.
- Iowa has been “first in the nation” since 1972
- Ever since Jimmy Carter won the Iowa Caucus in 1976 and then went on to win the presidency, candidates have considered the Iowa Caucus to be very important and spend much time candidating here
- There are 1681 precincts in Iowa
- 125,000 Iowans caucused in 2012, and officials expect a 25-50% increase this year
- This year’s caucus will be held on February 1st
It is so important that we all take part in our elections. We are so privileged to live in a nation in which we can freely vote! I want to encourage you today to consider each candidate, make a decision about who best represents you and your values, and then head to your caucus or primary. Don’t know when or where to go? Check out these links:
Find My State’s Primary/Caucus Date
Where Do I Go To Vote In a Primary/Caucus?
