Iowa Caucuses: What You Need to Know

The 2016 presidential nomination process is still in its infancy. We don’t yet know how much money candidates have raised or can raise. There are no endorsements of real significance. And polling doesn’t really tell us much—yet. But with 74 days left until the all-important Iowa caucuses—which kick off election season— it’s good to know why this ordinary state in the heartland of America is so crucial in determining our next president.

By being the first in the nation to hold an electoral event, Iowa has become a testing ground for candidates—and an important moment for voters to have their opinions heard. If a candidate does well it can signal possible success and garner more support from his or her party’s base. Candidates go to Iowa, even more than a year before the general election, because that is the first checkpoint to winning, or staying in, the race.

According to Michael Shear with The New York Times, one reason Iowa retains its influence in the nominating fight is that its caucuses require more of voters than just filling in an oval, and more of candidates than just running a few ads. “The process requires commitment of several hours for a voter, and it encourages campaigns to have a level of organizational sophistication that often helps separate candidates who can go the distance from those who cannot,” Shear said.

Similarly, Iowa also helps weed out the candidates who aren’t cut out for the job. Candidates who don’t live up to scrutiny don’t make it far past the Iowa caucuses. According to former Iowa House Speaker, Christopher Rant, Iowa matters because it helps to shrink the field. Similarly, Rachel Weiner of The Washington Post believes that, “there are three tickets out of Iowa—first class, coach and standby. Any candidate who comes in fourth place or lower will have a hard time recovering.”

But where Iowa truly gains momentum is in its power in catapulting worthy candidates to the top tier. “Where the event truly gains its importance is in terms of momentum,” said Elizabeth Hartfield to ABC News. From Senator George McGovern’s surprisingly strong finish in Iowa in 1972, to Senator Barack Obama’s decisive win in 2008, candidates who outperform expectations can ride their Iowa finish all the way to their party’s presidential nomination. “The Hawkeye State can serve as a catapult for candidacies, or a wake-up call to the campaigns of complacent frontrunners who risk losing everything by losing in Iowa,” said Carter Eskew of The Washington Post.

Key issues that could make or break a candidate’s win in Iowa this year include the long-debated effort to raise the minimum wage throughout the United States. More than four out of 10 employees in the country earn less than $15 an hour, including 96 percent of fast-food workers. The viewpoints are divided— a change in wages could be too much, too fast for many franchisors and small businesses, while others say they’re more likely to vote if a candidate backs a $15 hourly wage.

In early primaries and caucuses, there are few benefits to running against an increase in the federal minimum wage. Less than 13 percent of likely GOP early caucus or primary voters in Iowa and New Hampshire oppose an increase in the federal minimum wage, saying they would not vote for a presidential candidate who supports an increase. In fact, a majority of New Hampshire GOP primary and Iowa GOP Caucuses voters support at least one proposal (among $9, $10, $12 or $15) to increase the federal minimum wage (58 percent in Iowa and 59 percent in New Hampshire). With such a hot-button topic at stake, the winner of this year’s Iowa caucuses could mean big news for franchisees.

In the end, the Iowa caucuses and the rest of the primaries and caucuses serve to bring candidates back to their bases before they swing to the middle—whether a candidate sees Iowa as a hurdle or a boost depends on the type of platform they have. Ultimately, every presidential-hopeful has to win over the people of Iowa before they can win over the rest of the country.