Romney Wins Iowa (Barely); Who Has Your Presidential Vote?

Mitt Romney escaped Iowa with a dramatic victory Tuesday night in the nation's first glimpse into the 2012 presidential election, but it was Iowans' indecision that was the big story.

Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, received just eight more votes than the former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum.

At one point, just one vote, according to CNN, separated the two with 99 percent of precincts reporting. 

Ron Paul finished third while Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Michelle Bachmann and Jon Huntsman rounded out the voting. 

Santorum's late surge in Iowa surprised many political pundits. 

One of the biggest disappointments was Bachmann's showing in her home state.

From the Huffington Post: 

Michele Bachmann's campaign manager says it's hard to tell whether she will continue her campaign after a bleak showing in the Iowa caucuses.

Asked if he could say with certainty whether she would go forward with her candidacy, Bachmann campaign manager Keith Nahigian told The Associated Press, "I don't know yet."

Perry, according to CNN, said late Tuesday that he would return to Texas to consider whether his campaign would continue.

For a full recap of the caucus, . To read a live blog of the caucus, . 

Next up is New Hampshire's presidential primary on Jan. 10, followed by South Carolina (Jan. 21) and Florida (Jan. 31). Illinois' primary is set for March 20.

Bolingbrook Patch is polling its readers to gauge their interest in the election, its candidates and what issues are most important to them. This poll will be published each week until the end of the election season.

And at the end of the Illinois primary (March 20) and general election (Nov. 8), we hope these numbers will provide insight into how attitudes and ideologies shifted throughout what seems sure to be a cutthroat political atmosphere.

For more on the candidates, CLICK HERE.

After you're done voting, tell us why you voted the way you did by leaving a comment below!