What It’s Like to Be in Iowa Before the Caucuses

How do Iowans feel about their state being at the center of the political conversation with just days to go until the pivotal Iowa caucuses—and the myriad political ads that the contest brought with it?

“It’s annoying,” says retiree Rebecca Taylor.

With just a couple of days to go until the first-in-the-nation contest, Taylor tells TIME she sees about 60 to 70 political ads per day. Others who we spoke to at Drake Diner in Des Moines say that their TV’s mute button has become their best friend.

“At this point, people are getting sick of the process,” said Tom Westbrook, a professor at Drake University. “We’re actually kind of looking forward to New Hampshire taking over and South Carolina getting all of these ads.”