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Iowa Moves GOP Caucuses to Jan. 3

Iowa caucus-goers will likely pick their preferred Republican presidential candidate on Jan. 3, according to the Des Moines Register.

The newspaper reported that Republicans have tentatively scheduled the caucuses for the first Tuesday of 2012, but the GOP state central committee will make the final call later this month.

National Republican officials originally planned for the presidential primaries to kick off later in 2012 until Florida jumped the line and scheduled its primary for Jan. 31. As a result, the primary election calendar was thrown into disarray and the traditional first states to host contests moved their election dates into January.

Many feared that Florida’s move would force the Iowa caucuses into December. But if Iowa Republicans approve Jan. 3 — the same date the caucuses were held on in 2008 — that will not be an issue.

The move leaves only New Hampshire to announce the date of its first-in-the-nation primary.

Drew Ivers, who participated in the scheduling conference call last night to determine the date, told the Register that they picked Jan. 3 before New Hampshire could grab it.

Nevada scheduled its caucuses for Jan. 14, and South Carolina scheduled its primary for Jan. 21.

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