The Louisiana caucus has been set nine days earlier than the Jan. 24 Iowa date, but several presidential candidates won’t be found on the Pelican State’s ballot.

Monday was the deadline for candidates to make final decisions on whether to participate in the Jan. 15 caucus. Republican presidential hopefuls Texas Gov. George W. Bush, Arizona Sen. John McCain and publisher Steve Forbes all have decided to bypass the event.

“The fact that the major candidates are coming here instead of the Louisiana caucus is a testament to Iowa’s strength,” said Dee Stewart, executive director of the Iowa Republican Party.

Forbes originally filed to take part in the Louisiana caucus to keep his options open, but he later withdrew because Bush and McCain were not participating.

The Forbes campaign could not be reached for comment.

Bush won’t be participating in the Louisiana caucus in order to stay on good terms with Iowa voters.

“He will honor Iowa’s status as the first in the nation caucus,” said Scott McClellan, spokesman for the Bush campaign. “He wanted the people of Iowa to be the first to know his decision.”

This isn’t the first time Louisiana has attempted to beat out Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucus status. During the 1996 presidential election, the poorly attended Republican Louisiana caucus was won by Pat Buchanan, who is now in the Reform Party.

This year, 40 additional polling locations will be added in an attempt to increase turnout among Louisiana voters, but it may not matter if the candidates aren’t on the ballot.

Stewart said the Louisiana caucus won’t have much effect on the election process.

“The major candidates and press don’t go there,” he said. “We are the first true caucus.”

With the Republican front-runners skipping Louisiana, Gary Bauer is favored to move up to the front seat. But Bush still holds a majority of support nationwide.

The most recent CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll released Monday shows Bush holding steady with 68 percent of the support.

Of the 1,011 adults surveyed, 12 percent said they would vote for McCain, up from 11 percent in October. Forbes lost two percentage points from the October poll with 6 percent of the support.

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, Alan Keyes and Bauer, the only GOP candidates participating in the Louisiana caucus, are supported by 2 percent of survey participants.