Republican Story County Caucuses Attendance Expected to Surpass 2008

All of Story County's 43 precincts will caucus somewhere in the county Tuesday starting at 7 p.m.

Ames' Republican Caucuses will be held in churches, schools, a golf course clubhouse and even a winery. If you know what precinct you live in you can check the document to the right to find your place. Otherwise you can look it up here. Caucus-goers are advised to arrive by 6:15 p.m. to register.

All Story County Democrats will meet at the , 1921 Ames High Drive. They will rally starting at 5:30 p.m. and host a caucus starting at 7 p.m. President Barack Obama's live stream, a live appearance by Christie Vilsack, Iowa's former first lady and a candidate for Iowa's Fourth Congressional district, food and live music are all part of the event.

Story County Republican leaders expect this year's Caucus attendance to trump the turnout in 2008 of 3,600 voters, in part because a greater number of independents will register with the party so they can participate in the caucus, and because the Tea Party has encouraged more people to become politically active.

In 2008, thousands of independents caucused with the Democrats, said Cory Adams, Story County Republican chairman and a lot of those same independents will caucus with the Republicans Tuesday.

"We're hoping that those same independents, or a great many of them, will caucus with us this year, along with 'Blue Democrats' who may not be happy with the president and cross over for the night," he said.

Larry Reinsch of Ames, Independent Voters of Iowa's state organizer, said about 15 percent of caucus-goers are typically independents who register with a party so they can vote.

“Independents are more likely to vote against incumbents regardless of who they are,” he said.

Reinsch, who will not caucus, thinks the lion's share of the independent vote will go to Ron Paul because he most closely represents the issues they care about such as term limits and making it easier for third parties to participate in the democratic process.

People have to be registered to vote and registered with a party to participate in the caucuses, but they can register to vote or switch parties at their caucus location.

In order to register to vote you have to be able to prove who you are and where you live. Most people should just use an Iowa driver's license, but the following documents are also acceptable.

To Prove Who You Are:

Iowa non-driver ID card

Out-of-state driver's license or non-driver ID card

U.S. passport

U.S. military ID

ID card issued by employer

Student ID issued by Iowa high school or college

To Prove Residence:

Residential lease

Utility bill (including a cell phone bill)

Bank statement

Paycheck

Government check or other government document