The Republican caucuses begin at 8 p.m. Eastern time at hundreds of precinct locations across the state. Voters must appear in person (except for some overseas and military voters) and be registered with the party, though same-day registration is allowed.
Typically, voters indicate their preferences on blank sheets of paper. After the results are tallied, they are read aloud before being sent to the state party. In 2016, precincts began reporting results just after 8:30 p.m. Eastern time, and nearly all results were in by 12:50 a.m. Eastern time.
The state’s 40 delegates (just 1.6 percent of Republican delegates nationwide) will be allocated to candidates proportionally based on the final vote count. In pre-caucus polling, former president Donald J. Trump held an overwhelming lead, with Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley neck and neck behind him.
