Voting begins in Iowa caucuses

Voting has begun in the Iowa caucus, the first contest on the road to the Republican nomination.

For Mitt Romney, a win would open a path for him to the GOP nod — along with a chance to save money and spare himself months of intra-party fighting by locking up his front-runner status.

{mosads}For Rick Santorum, a strong showing would give his campaign much-needed momentum.

And for Ron Paul, a win would bring his campaign national media attention and give him front-runner status for the first time in the 2012 primary process.

The three men are essentially tied for first place in final polling of the state. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad (R) predicted Tuesday evening on CNN that Romney will win the caucus. 

Paul has a loyal following in the state, Santorum has spent more time there than any other candidate and Romney is looking to avenge his 2008 loss. He spent millions in Iowa that cycle only to lose to Mike Huckabee, 25 percent to 34 percent.

♦ Check county-by county results for the Iowa caucus

Newt Gingrich has been downplaying expectations in the state as polls show him in fourth place. 

But perhaps the most pressure is on Michele Bachmann. A poor showing in Iowa, where she won the 2011 Ames straw poll, will lead to questions about her viability as a presidential candidate and whether she should drop out of the race.

The caucus began at 8 p.m. EST Tuesday, and results weren’t expected until after 11 p.m. EST.

The candidates spent the day on last-minute campaign swings throughout Iowa and speaking to caucus-goers. They’ll spend the evening at their respective campaign headquarters in and around Des Moines.

While Iowa will crown a front-runner, the battle for the nomination continues Wednesday, when Romney and Gingrich head to New Hampshire. Perry and Bachmann will campaign in South Carolina.

New Hampshire holds the next nominating contest on Tuesday, Jan. 10, followed by South Carolina’s primary on Saturday, Jan. 21.