How Did Iowa Become the First State to Help Choose the President?

Chatter regarding the 2024 Presidential election has been happening for months, but the on-ramp to the White House officially opens up today when the Iowa caucuses get underway.

As Dakota News Now reports, Iowa started this whole political process some 50 years ago. Thanks to the post-1968 political reforms put forth by the Democratic party to help empower women, minority voters, and young people in selecting their presidential nominee.

That move also allowed Iowa's Democratic leaders to start the primary voting process earlier, giving the corn-producing state tucked in the middle of America's heartland a chance to jump ahead of other states and get the party started you might say.

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Needless to say, back then things were just a little bit different. In 1972 there we no TV cameras present, actually two folding tables were able to accommodate all the media and staff present at the Democratic headquarters that year. Just one person, a 25-year-old anti-Vietnam War activist was tasked with doing all the vote counting that trickled into the headquarters building via two phone lines that were set up to facilitate the voting results.

Since that time, the Iowa caucuses have become the launching pad for some unexpected candidates to claim the White House.

Look no further than Georgia's Jimmy Carter in 1976, and Illinois Senator Barack Obama in 2008 as two great examples of that. Both gentlemen came out of virtually nowhere to claim the title of the Democratic nominee in those respective years thanks to their strong showing in the Iowa caucuses.

In 2024, current President Joe Biden, and former President Donald Trump are expected to be both parties' general election candidates.

According to Dakota News Now, Iowa Republicans will officially begin that process starting today, Monday (January 15), while Iowa Democrats will also be voting today via the mail, however, the results won't be publically announced for the Democrats until March, because President Biden decided to shake up the party's primary calendar to allow states like South Carolina, New Hampshire, Georgia, and Michigan to go ahead of Iowa in the primary election voting process in 2024.

Both Biden and Trump are expected to easily coast to victory once the Iowa caucus results are announced for both parties.

When that happens Iowa can again claim to hold a central role in U.S. politics, and how the nation chooses its president.

Source: Dakota News Now