For success in Iowa's Caucuses, there is one word that matters

Shane Vander Hart explains one of the most vital things a presidential campaign can do to get their "ticket" punched out of Iowa on caucus night.

Caucuses are held in community centers, schools, churches, and even living rooms. On February 1, 2016, my precinct caucus was held at Berean Assembly of God in Pleasant Hill, Iowa.

Recently, different presidential campaigns have taken different approaches to win the Iowa Caucuses or get their ticket punched to New Hampshire by finishing in the top three. In addition, some campaigns have tried to skip Iowa altogether (which has never been successful).

The thing to remember with caucuses is that they are not primaries that are run similarly to a general election with all-day voting, early voting, and mail-in voting. Instead, caucuses are functions of political parties for members of the party to select delegates who will back their chosen candidate. Party members meet in precinct caucuses in one evening, hold a presidential preference poll, and then choose county convention delegates and county party central committee members.

The vote on caucus night is symbolic but does provide candidates who do well with momentum and earned media coverage.