The Iowa Republican caucuses are underway, and we'll be liveblogging the results as they come in.
Click here for our handy guide to the nuts-and-bolts of caucus procedures.
With 96.28% reporting, it's Santorum 29,068 (25%), Romney 28,958 (25%), and Paul 25,142 (21%). A linear projection shows Romney by 84.
Results: AP | CBS | CNN | DMR | Google | NYT | Politico
Tue Jan 03, 2012 at 9:04 PM PT:
Tue Jan 03, 2012 at 9:12 PM PT (Steve Singiser): Our polling partners at PPP are on the breaking news quickly: they just tweeted the second choice candidates for Rick Perry supporters. Bachmann claimed 39 percent, Gingrich 17 percent, and Romney got 11 percent. But, remember, that was well before the "Santorum surge", so it is fair to assume that a lot of that secondary support would drift to him. One thing is evident: they aren't going to Mitt Romney.
Tue Jan 03, 2012 at 9:13 PM PT (Steve Singiser): Now up to 96.8% reporting, and the margin continues to slide downward. Santorum now has 29,171 votes, with Romney right on his tail with 29,124 votes. A margin of just 47 votes. The linear projection now estimates a Romney win of 110 votes.
Tue Jan 03, 2012 at 9:16 PM PT (Steve Singiser): It looks like we are about five minutes from hearing from Rick Santorum. Interesting to see whether he declares victory, or remains more equivocal about the outcome. He now trails narrowly (49 votes), after almost all of Dubuque County reported.
Tue Jan 03, 2012 at 9:18 PM PT (kos): It's no coincidence that the top two vote getters tonight were the two candidates least targeted in the ad wars. That'll change in the coming weeks.
Tue Jan 03, 2012 at 9:18 PM PT: The liveblogging continues in the next thread.
Tue Jan 03, 2012 at 9:19 PM PT (Steve Singiser): Good news/bad news for Mitt Romney. He now leads by 67 votes overall (29,607 to 29,540). But a lot of his best turf just came in. Therefore, the linear projection now has the Romney "win" at 51 votes. Talk about going down to the wire!