Iowa caucus poll coming Saturday

CNN and The Des Moines Register will release their fourth Iowa poll on Saturday gauging where presidential candidates stand in the state that kicks off the 2020 Democratic nomination contests.

The results of the Iowa poll are set to be released at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, and the data will provide a look at likely Iowa caucusgoers’ considerations for president in the crucial early state.

The CNN/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll will come as candidates descend on the Polk County Steak Fry on Saturday, the latest cattle call in the first-in-the-nation caucus state that allows candidates to pitch themselves as the best contender to take on President Donald Trump.

With less than five months to go until the Feb. 3, 2020, caucuses, candidates are honing in on the state that could change the trajectory of their campaigns.

California Sen. Kamala Harris, as she slips in the polls and her campaign stagnates, is planning an Iowa blitz where she will visit the state every week in October and double her staffing in the state, according to campaign aides.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and Harris both aired the first TV ads of their 2020 presidential campaigns in Iowa in August as part of six-figure television and digital ad purchases.

South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg is also looking to Iowa to get his campaign momentum back. He told CNN the state is “central,” and has increased his presence in the state, with advisers saying they hope to have 90 people in Iowa by the end of the month.

Biden maintained a lead over the 2020 Democrats among likely participants in the Iowa Democratic caucuses in the CNN/Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll released in June, but his lead was smaller than the one he had held in recent national polling.

In late August, the Democratic National Committee recommended rejecting proposals from Iowa and Nevada that would allow virtual caucuses, citing security concerns. The announcement injected uncertainty into the party’s presidential voting process months before votes will be cast.

In a caucus, people are required to show up at a designated place, group themselves by which candidate they support and then lobby others. In a primary, by contrast, people go to their designated voting place and cast a ballot.