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(NewsNation) — The Iowa caucuses officially kicked off the 2024 primary season, starting a race to the national conventions this summer where the two major party nominees will be named for the general election.

Former President Donald Trump cemented his place as the GOP frontrunner with a resounding victory in the Hawkeye State. He secured more than 50% of the vote, well ahead of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (21%) and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (19%). DeSantis dropped out of the race a few days later and endorsed Trump.

The candidates headed to New Hampshire where Trump secured his second election victory of 2024, winning the New Hampshire primary and inching closer to becoming the Republican Party’s nominee. Haley had been furiously campaigning in the state as she sought to close the gap between herself and Trump. 

Unlike Iowa, which holds caucuses, New Hampshire is a primary election where individual voters anonymously cast a ballot for their preferred candidate.

Once a favored method of presidential nominations, caucuses have been replaced by primary elections in several states throughout the years.

Both methods have their supporters and critics, but Iowa’s Republicans have stood by the caucus process, which often has major implications for the presidential election.

How do caucuses and primaries work?

Caucuses are meetings run by political parties rather than the government and are hosted at the county, district or precinct level.

They don’t all operate the same. Some choose candidates by casting secret ballots, while others divide into groups based on the candidate they support. Each group then gives speeches to try to persuade others to back their candidate.

Caucuses don’t directly elect a presidential candidate. They do, however, determine the number of state delegates who will vote for the caucus winner at the national convention.

The number of delegates given to each candidate is based on the number of caucus votes they receive.

Alternatively, primary elections are hosted by the government and allow individual voters to cast a ballot in favor of their favorite candidates running for office.

What states hold caucuses?

Republicans in seven states — Iowa, North Dakota, Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Missouri and Wyoming — will choose a nominee for president solely in a caucus this cycle, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Democrats — who currently hold the White House — will caucus in Idaho, Iowa and Wyoming.

Some Nevada Republicans will caucus as well this cycle. The Silver State has both a primary and a caucus this year, with some candidates — like former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley — opting to appear on the state’s “presidential preference” primary, while others — like former President Donald Trump — will participate in the party’s caucus two days later.

Nevada is also set to host its first Democratic presidential primary this year.

Additionally, three territories — American Samoa, Guam and the Virgin Islands — host presidential caucuses.

State caucuses pre-date primary elections. Although caucuses were once the preferred method of picking presidential nominees, some states have begun to favor primaries, in part, because they mirror the regular election process and offer more opportunities for nonpartisan voters, according to The Council of State Governments.

Are caucuses better or worse?

Some people have been critical of the influence Iowa has during the nomination process, claiming the state’s demographics aren’t representative of the entire nation. Similar criticism has been lodged against New Hampshire, which is the first state to hold primary elections.

Others worry that candidates feel pressure to support certain issues in either state so they can build support and perform well, according to the National Constitution Center.  

Although both states award a relatively small number of delegates, candidates who do well in Iowa and New Hampshire have historically enjoyed positive news coverage.

However, a win in Iowa doesn’t guarantee overall success. The last Iowa winner to make it to the White House was former President George W. Bush in 2000.

Those in support of caucuses say they allow constituents to meet and talk about politics and speak with campaign representatives. Proponents of primaries, however, point to higher turnout rates and criticize the sometimes inconvenient and time-consuming caucus process.

What comes next?

Both parties will hold primaries in New Hampshire on Jan. 23. In those contests, unaffiliated voters can participate in either party’s primary.

Polling from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ Election Center currently shows Trump with an 11-point lead over Haley in the Granite State but it remains to be seen how much former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s departure could impact the race.

After New Hampshire, Democrats have a primary in South Carolina on Feb. 3, where Biden, U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., and author Marianne Williamson will appear on the ballot.

On Feb. 6, Nevada will host a presidential preference primary, where voters will choose between several Republican and Democratic candidates, including Biden and Haley.

The Republican candidates who chose to forego the primary will instead participate in the state GOP-sanctioned caucus. Trump, DeSantis and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are set to take part in that contest.

Super Tuesday falls on March 5 this year. That’s when the greatest number of states hold primary elections and caucuses, with nearly one-third of all delegates up for grabs.