Iowa holds the first U.S. presidential caucuses today. It is the first step in the presidential nomination process for the Democratic and Republican parties.

HOW IT WORKS

- A caucus is a party meeting at the precinct level in which citizens share views and opinions about the candidates and pick delegates to their county conventions. They are the lowest level of party politics and are held in each of the state's 1,993 political precincts.

- Delegates chosen at the caucuses go to the county convention, where the field of candidates is winnowed again and more delegates picked to attend the district convention. The process is repeated there and again at the state convention, where delegates are ultimately named to the national convention. In the end, Iowa Republicans will send 25 delegates to their national convention, while Iowa Democrats will send 45.

PARTICIPATION

Typically, turnout represents a fraction of registered party members and eligible voters. In 2000, 61,000 Democrats, about 10.8 per cent, took part, compared to 87,600 Republicans, about 16.5 per cent. Those figures are down from 1988, when 88,000 Democrats and 109,000 Republicans participated.