The Iowa caucus was held on Monday night with results showing Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as the Republican winner with 27.6 percent of the votes and some reports saying the race was too close to call for the Democratic candidates former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

On Tuesday afternoon some reports surfaced that the Associated Press reported Clinton the winner of the Iowa caucus for the Democratic Party with 700.59 state delegate equivalents, and Sanders being awarded 696.82 delegates.

The Iowa caucus is an event where voters from all of 1,774 Iowa voting precincts meet to elect delegates to the county conventions.

From the county convention, of which there are 99, delegates are chosen for the state party convention.

Eventually, the state party convention elects delegates to attend the national party convention, where a presidential nominee is selected.

According to uspresidentialelectionnews.com, the process is similar for both Democrat and Republican candidates.

The winner of the Iowa caucus receives the most delegates elected to the county convention, which then elects delegates for that candidate to the state convention, and eventually, to the national convention.

Republican results for the Iowa caucus showed Cruz winning with Donald Trump in second place with 24.3 percent and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio with 23.1 percent.

Caucuses do not work the same as a typical primary in that caucuses are usually held in homes or smaller venues, where voters discuss the candidates and then make their choice.

The results are tallied and sent into party headquarters.

Party chairs in the 99 Iowa counties are charged with issuing the “call” to caucus, setting up caucus locations, and identifying temporary chairs for each of their caucuses.

Voters sign in on pre-printed forms listing all registered party members in their precinct.

Those who are not registered with the party may register at the door, so caucus participants need not be registered voters ahead of time.

This is different from primary elections in most states, with the exception of those few that allow Election Day registration.

Alabama has a version of an open primary where voters are free to choose either Republican, Democrat or any other party during the primary.

Democrats in Alabama require all those who cast a ballot in the Democratic runoff to have voted in the party’s primary with no crossover voting allowed.

Republicans do not have this requirement, so any voter is allowed to cast their ballot in the GOP primary runoff.

 

The results from the Iowa caucus are as follows:

Republican results:

•Ted Cruz (winner) 51,666 votes or 27.6 percent

•Donald Trump 45,427 votes or 24.3 percent

•Marco Rubio 43,165 votes or 23.1 percent

•Ben Carson 17,395 votes or 9.3 percent

•Rand Paul 8,481 votes or 4.5 percent

•Jeb Bush 5,238 votes or 2.8 percent

•Carly Fiorina 3,485 votes or 1.9 percent

•John Kasich 3,474 votes or 1.9 percent

•Mike Huckabee 3,345 votes or 1.8 percent

•Chris Christie 3,284 votes or 1.8 percent

•Rick Santorum 1,783 votes or 1.0 percent

•Jim Gilmore 12 votes or 0 percent

 

Democratic results

•Hillary Clinton 49.9 percent

•Bernie Sanders 49.6 percent

•Martin O’Malley 0.6 percent.

 

The next primary will be on Feb. 9 in New Hampshire with 23 delegates at stake.

See below for a schedule of each state’s primary or caucus scheduled for 2016:

 

•Feb. 20, a primary will be held in South Carolina with 50 delegates.

•Feb. 23, a caucus will be held in Nevada with 30 delegates.

•March 1, a primary will be held in Alabama with 50 delegates.

•March 1, Alaska will hold a caucus with 28 delegates.

•March 1, Arkansas will hold a primary with 40 delegates.

•March 1, Colorado will hold a caucus with 37 delegates.

•March 1, Georgia will hold a primary with 76 delegates.

•March 1, Massachusetts, will hold a primary with 42 delegates.

•March 1, Minnesota will hold a caucus with 38 delegates.

•March 1, Oklahoma will hold a primary with 43 delegates.

•March 1, Tenessee will hold a primary with 58 delegates.

•March 1, Texas will hold a primary with 155 delegates.

•March 1, Vermont will hold a primary with 16 delegates.

•March 1, Virginia will hold a primary with 49 delegates.

•March 5, Kansas will hold a caucus with 40 delegates.

•March 5, Kentucky will hold a caucus with 46 delegates.

•March 5, Louisiana will hold a primary with 46 delegates.

•March 5, Maine will hold a caucus with 23 delegates.

•March 6, Puerto Rico will hold a primary with 23 total delegates.

•March 8, Hawaii will hold a caucus with 19 delegates.

•March 8, Idaho will hold a primary with 32 delegates.

•March 8, Michigan will hold a primary with 59 delegates.

•March 8, Mississippi will hold a primary with 40 delegates.

•March 12, District of Columbia will hold a convention with 19 delegates.

•March 15, Florida will hold a primary with 99 delegates.

•March 15, Illinois will hold a primary with 69 delegates.

•March 15, Missouri will hold a primary with 52 delegates.

•March 15, North Carolina will hold a primary with 72 delegates.

•March 15, Ohio will hold a primary with 66 total delegates.

•March 15, Northern Mariana Islands will hold a caucus with 9 delegates.

•March 19, the U.S. Virgin Islands will hold a caucus with 9 delegates.

•March 22, Arizona will hold a primary with 58 delegates.

•March 22, Utah will hold a caucus with 40 delegates.

•April 5, Wisconsin will hold a primary with 42 delegates.

•April 19, New York will hold a primary with 95 delegates.

•April 26, Connecticut will hold a primary with 28 delegates.

•April 26, Delaware will hold a primary with 16 delegates.

•April 26, Maryland will hold a primary with 38 delegates.

•April 26, Pennsylvania will hold a primary with 71 delegates.

•April 26, Rhode Island will hold a primary with 19 delegates.

•May 3, Indiana will hold a primary with 57 delegates.

•May 10, Nebraska will hold a primary with 36 delegates.

•May 17, Oregon will hold a primary with 28 delegates.

•May 24, Washington will hold a primary with 44 delegates.

•June 7, California will hold a primary with 172 delegates.

•June 7, Montana will hold a primary with 27 delegates.

•June 7, New Jersey will hold a primary with 51 delegates.

•June 7, New Mexico will hold a primary with 24 delegates.

•June 7, South Dakota will hold a primary with 29 delegates.

 

The General Election will be held on Nov. 8.

Also included on Primary Election ballots in Chilton County will be local races including the District Attorney for the 19th Judicial Circuit, District Court Judge, and Chilton County Commission.

For more about the delegates that will appear on the ballot in Chilton County, check a future edition of The Clanton Advertiser or visit www.clantonadvertiser.com.