Trump or someone else? The first Republicans called to vote to name their party's nominee for November's presidential election will do so on Monday in Iowa.
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This small, rural state in the Midwest is the first to hold caucuses, meetings of voters affiliated with a party.
“The road to the White House and removing Joe Biden from the presidency begins here in Iowa,” the local Republican Party proudly chanted on its website.
Democrats are also organizing their own caucus, but this year, voting to confirm President Joe Biden's inauguration will be done by mail, through February 19.
Despite having less than 1% of the U.S. population, Iowa has figured prominently on the American political scene for more than 50 years, setting the tone early in the primary season.
It will confirm whether opinion polls are correct in giving Donald Trump the most likely candidate in the race for the Republican Party nomination.
Schools, churches, theaters, fire stations, even private homes: Republican voters will gather in small groups in nearly 1,700 precincts.
Only those officially registered as Republicans will be able to participate in the caucuses, but it will be possible to do so on the same evening.
The process will officially begin at 7:00 pm (01:00 GMT Tuesday) with a prayer and recitation of the “Oath of Allegiance to the Flag and Republic of the United States.” Representatives of the candidates will give a speech in favor of their champion before participants write their choice on a piece of paper.
However, the weather is threatening to deal a blow to participation, as the US Midwest, including Iowa, is currently experiencing a bout of extreme cold and heavy snowfall.
Iowa is scheduled to be represented by 40 delegates at the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee (Wisconsin) in July, when the party's nominee for November's presidential election is officially determined.
It is a number that must be taken into account with other states, such as Texas, which will send 162 delegates to the convention.
In 2016, Texas Senator Ted Cruz narrowly beat Donald Trump, winning eight delegates, compared to seven for the future president.
In addition to the billionaire, five candidates will compete this year, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.
Eight days after Iowa, it will be New Hampshire Republicans' turn to vote. The calendar is then scheduled to speed up to March 5 and Super Tuesday, when about fifteen states, including Texas and California, will hold their primaries simultaneously.
It remains to be seen whether Donald Trump will not have already crushed all competition by this date.
