VOA常速英语:2020年美国总统大选的第一轮投票即将开始

Imagine holding more than a thousand meetings all on the same day at the same time.
Thats what it’s like to hold a caucus in a state such as Iowa.
Every voting precinct in state of Iowa has a designated beauty place such as schools and libraries.
On caucus day people go to those meetings to discuss and declare publicly and openly their support for a particular presidential candidate.
The results are tabulated and delegates are awarded to the candidates according to party rules.
Political parties in six states will hold a caucus in 2020:
Iowa, Nevada, Kentucky, Hawaii, North Dakota and Wyoming.
Most well-known is the Iowa caucus.
Since 1972 Iowa has been the nations first caucus.
Its results are dissected providing the first tangible evidence of support for any of the candidates.
Iowas 2020 caucus will be held on the evening of February 3rd.
The focus is on the Democrats,
because US President Donald Trump with token opposition is almost assured the Republican nomination at the partys August convention.
Unlike the open nature of a caucus,voting in a primary election is private and done in a voting booth.
The votes are tabulated and delegates are awarded to candidates according to party rules.
More than 40 states will hold a primary election in 2020.
New Hampshire state law mandates:it hold the nations first primary.
This year it takes place on February 11th because they are the first to cast votes.
Iowa and New Hampshire attract more attention than more populous more diverse states with more delegates at stake.

A criticism of the current system is that Iowa and New Hampshire are overwhelmingly white.
Presidential hopefuls spend months communing between the two states visiting restaurants,state fairs and town hall meetings,in an effort to meet as many voters as possible.
For the candidates who survived Iowa and New Hampshire,
their next big test is March 3rd 2020 known as Super Tuesday,
because of the number of states that hold primaries on that day:14.
Among them Americas two most populous states California and Texas,
about 30 percent of the delegates for each partys convention are at stake on Super Tuesday.
Primary elections continue through the first week of June.
Usually one candidate clinches the nomination earlier than that,
making the party convention in the summer a crowning moment, along with the naming of the candidates choice of a vice president.
But if no candidate clinches the nomination during the caucuses and primaries,
a contested convention would produce a summer political drama.