Here are several findings from polling of voters on the day of the Iowa caucuses that may — or may not – prove to be important as the GOP race moves on to New Hampshire and beyond.

Romney Gets 1% of ‘True Conservative’ Voters. A quarter of Iowa caucus voters said the most important candidate quality was that they be a ‘true conservative.’ Among these voters, just 1% supported Romney; 37% backed Paul and 36% supported Santorum.

Number of Late Deciders Spikes. Nearly half of Iowa caucus voters (46%) said they decided their vote on the day of the caucuses or in the days leading up to them. Four years ago, 30% said they decided on the day of the voting or in the three days before. Santorum won about a third of the votes from late deciders, more than any other candidate.

The Issue Divides. Just 13% said that abortion was the most important issue in choosing a candidate; these voters overwhelmingly backed Santorum. Far more Iowa caucus voters rated the economy (42%) and budget deficit (34%) as most important: The former group supported Romney, while deficit hawks supported Paul.

More Independents. Independents comprised nearly a quarter (23%) of GOP caucus voters, […]