Voting will begin today in the Democratic presidential nomination campaign when party members in the state of Iowa go to the polls today.
Opinion polls show Mr John Kerry holding a slight lead in a tight four-way dash to the finish. Mr Howard Dean, Mr Richard Gephardt and Mr John Edwards are all within striking distance of victory in what could be the closest race in the history of Iowa's caucuses, the first step in finding a Democratic challenger for President Bush in November.
At least 100,000 Democrats are expected to brave sub-freezing temperatures tonight to attend one of nearly 2,000 local precinct caucuses around the state and publicly declare their support for a candidate. The process begins at 8.30 p.m. EST (12.30 a.m. Irish time tomorrow).
The latest Reuters/MSNBC/Zogbytracking poll showed Mr Kerry clinging to a slight lead over Mr Dean, Mr Gephardt and Mr Edwards, with about one-tenth of likely caucus-goers saying they are still undecided.
A loss for Mr Dean, the front-runner who scored a series of big endorsements in recent weeks, would open the door for other candidates and turn what was shaping up to be a quick Dean victory into a dogfight.
A win for Mr Kerry, a Massachusetts senator, would be a huge boost to what had been a struggling campaign. But Mr Gephardt, the congressman from neighbouring Missouri and one-time leader in Iowa polls, has the most to lose. His campaign could be over with a loss in Iowa.