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Just How Do the Iowa Caucuses Work?

Iowa's voters don't go to the polls; they caucus. And on Jan. 3, the state's 1,784 precinct caucus locations will receive Democratic voters who apportion delegates to the various candidates. The Democratic caucus takes place in public over several hours. But Republicans choose the winner by popular vote. They scribble their candidate's name on a piece of paper and drop it in a box.

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Mara Liasson is a national political correspondent for NPR. Her reports can be heard regularly on NPR's award-winning newsmagazine programs Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Liasson provides extensive coverage of politics and policy from Washington, DC — focusing on the White House and Congress — and also reports on political trends beyond the Beltway.