For students who are aware of the Iowa caucuses — but don’t understand the process — a demystifying workshop sponsored by Iowa State may help.

The workshop will instruct participants how to participate in the Iowa caucuses. The free workshop will begin at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the Great Hall. C-SPAN will tape the first half of the event for broadcast at a later date.

“For many people, the caucus is a mysterious process,” said Dianne Bystrom, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics. “It’s different from going to the polls and voting in the primary.”

The goal of the event is to untangle the quasi-complicated Iowa caucuses, which have strong influence on the presidential race and public opinion, due to its status as first in the nation, she said.

ISU student activists agree with the importance of the caucuses.

“We want to educate students about the caucuses, and how fortunate Iowa is to be the first in the nation,” said Hannah Schoenthal-Muse, president of the ISU Democrats and senior in liberal studies.

Iowa Secretary of State Chet Culver will lead the communitywide training session. Also presenting at the event will be Iowa Sen. Mark Zieman, R-Postville, and Gordon Fischer, Iowa Democratic Party chairman. ISU student leaders will introduce the party speakers.

With a strong student turnout in Tuesday’s city council elections, Bystrom hopes the voting momentum will last until Jan. 19, when the caucuses are held. She said there has been an unprecedented focus on young voters in the current presidential race, with events like the “America Rocks the Vote” debate, which drew 100 students to the viewing in the Memorial Union Wednesday.

Democratic and Republican representatives will explain their parties’ caucus processes. They also will lead “mock caucus” practice exercises. A candidate information resource fair will follow.