The early entrance poll data, conducted by a media consortium, suggest that Ron Paul and Mitt Romney are roughly tied at 24%-24% in the Iowa caucuses, followed by Rick Santorum with 18 or 19 percent.
However, some caveats must be explained. Notably, early caucus entrance poll data — or primary and general election exit polls — have not yet gone through adjustments for geographic weighting and distribution, a process that is undertaken once actual results start coming in.
Furthermore, they are also dependent on the honesty of respondents, and their general willingness to speak to a pollster about their vote.
