The polls have been sampled and the pundits have spoken: but who will win the GOP's Iowa caucuses? Here's your chance to take a stab at picking the order in which the seven candidates cross the finishing line – and help us crowdsource the final result.
In the comments section below, simply list from one to seven the order in which you think the following candidates will finish: Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum.
(If you think a candidate not listed will be in the top seven, write in "Other".)
As a tie-breaker, include the percentage of the total vote you think the winning candidate will receive.
The deadline for entries is 6pm ET (11pm GMT) on Tuesday, 3 January. So get picking.
The entry that most accurately picks the finishing order and comes closest to the winning percentage will be judged to be the winner. In the event of a tie we'll think of something fiendish or toss a coin.
Simple, right? To enter though you will have to be logged onto the Guardian's website. Multiple entries are not allowed – only a user's last entry will be counted.
As an example, here's my money where my mouth is:
1. Mitt Romney
2. Rick Santorum
3. Ron Paul
4. Rick Perry
5. Newt Gingrich
6. Michele Bachmann
7. Jon HuntsmanTie breaker: 23%
And there are prizes!
The winner of this totally unscientific competition will win fabulous prizes, including and not limited to:
• Copy of The Ron Paul Family Cookbook
• Christmas card from Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts (used)
• Set of genuine Guardian pencils. These are not available in stores
• The admiration of your peers
Want some help in picking your running order? Here is the RealClearPolitics Iowa poll of polls – which currently has Romney, Paul and Santorum as the top three.
The most authoritative Iowa caucus poll is the Des Moines Register poll released on Saturday – and that also had a Romney, Paul and Santorum top three finish, with a twist that Santorum was gaining rapidly during the polling.
Want more detail? Here's the Des Moines Register pollster Ann Selzer running through the possible turn-out scenarios in Iowa. And here's Nate Silver of the New York Times's FiveThirtyEight blog, who gives Mitt Romney a 62% chance of winning the Iowa caucuses.
Judge's decision will be final, no correspondence will be entered into, and so on. Right then, get picking.
