The Republican Central Committee voted Tuesday to hold its caucus on January 3, moving its official date up nearly two weeks in order to maintain the position as the first state in the nation to vote on presidential contenders.

In a press release, Chuck Laudner, Executive Director of the Republican Party of Iowa, said a decision was essential to helping election officials and the campaigns prepare for the vote.

“With under 80 days to go, this is a huge help to our counties and county chairs to get the ball rolling and start organizing. They have 1,784 precinct caucus meetings to run, thousands of volunteers to recruit and our presidential candidates deserve a set date,” Laudner said.

“This is a definitive year for Iowa, and it is crucial that RPI, the State Central Committee and our county organizations run a smooth, successful caucus,” he said.

Laudner said the Republican Party will continue to work with the Democratic Party to plan the caucus. Democrats haven’t officially selected a date for their caucus, although the votes have traditionally been held by both parties simultaneously.

The Iowa Democratic Party released a statement saying no final decision had been made.

“The Iowa Democratic Party is planning for a January caucus that is run professionally and with integrity. We will decide our caucus date based ultimately on what is best for the people of Iowa and the Democratic Party.”