Voters line up to register and cast their ballots during the Republican caucuses in Des Moines, Iowa, the United States, Jan. 3, 2012. U.S. Republicans in Iowa on Tuesday night streamed into some 1,700 sites, beginning the state's first-in-the-nation caucuses that would lead to the party's nomination of a presidential candidate to challenge President Barack Obama. (Xinhua/Zhang Jun)

U.S. Republicans in Iowa on Tuesday night streamed into some 1,700 sites, beginning the state's first-in-the-nation caucuses that would lead to the party's nomination of a presidential candidate to challenge President Barack Obama.

At a caucus site at Merrill Junior High School, just outside downtown Des Moines, hundreds of caucus goers registered at the site, and began the caucus after former Iowa governor Robert Ray led the pledge of allegiance.

After the caucus began, supporters of each candidates took turns to go on stage, set up in a gymnasium, to talk about the candidates they support, trying to sway other caucus goers.

Travis Lovelady, who supports Texas Governor Rick Perry, said he believes with so many undecided caucus goers, the victory is "everybody's game."

However, the vote at the Merrill Junior High School didn't turn out to be everybody's game. One of the two caucuses at the school turned out to go with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who garnered 105 votes out of 205. Perry had none.

Romney supporter Richard Jones said he was glad that Romney won his precinct, but predicted he wouldn't gain that wide a margin in the whole state even if he wins the caucuses.

Kevin McLaughlin, chairman of the Republican Party in Polk County told Xinhua at the caucus site that the Iowa caucuses can help produce a strong candidate for the GOP, and give the candidates a chance to fight it out and the practice necessary before one of them faces Obama.

"We need to produce a candidate who is more experienced, who will look after interest of individuals, families and businesses...our role in this is not only to try and help select a candidate, but to make certain a candidate has been beaten up enough, questioned enough, worked hard enough to be in shape to take on Barack Obama," said McLaughlin.

The contest is expected to be a close one, with Romney, Congressman for Texas Ron Paul and former senator for Pennsylvania Rick Santorum were locked in dead heat for a strong finish in the state. Results are expected later in the evening.