On Monday, February 3, the Iowa Democratic Party tried a new method of counting and reporting the totals. It did not go well. As of mid-day on Tuesday, a final result had not yet been released. The next presidential contest is scheduled to take place in New Hampshire on February 11.
Every four years, voters across Iowa gather to make their preferences known in the nation’s first-quadrennial presidential caucus. Unlike a primary, a caucus involves voters assembling to state their choice. The gatherings take place in schools, libraries, auditoriums, and other public spaces.
In the Democratic caucuses, voters often have the opportunity to persuade their neighbors to switch preference from one candidate to another as the two-round process progresses and some candidates are unable to get the minimum threshold of supporters in a given caucus location. (Republican caucuses use a one-step process to determine a winner.)
A candidate “wins” the caucus by securing the largest number of “votes”—which are tallied as State Delegate Equivalents. These will be used to determine how many delegates the state sends to the national convention on behalf of each candidate.
Iowa was in the spotlight for endless months as the nation rolled towards the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses to define the start of the 2020 presidential campaign. With results still not delivered and much confusion remaining, Iowa voters and the candidates’ campaign staff are directing their ire at the caucus itself.
Joeff Davis
People gather to check-in to vote at the caucus in Ames, Iowa.
People gather to check-in to vote at the caucus in Ames, Iowa.
Joeff Davis
Warren supporters Lou Cathcart (left) and Phyllis Boone in the hallway at the caucus site in Ames, Iowa.
Warren supporters Lou Cathcart (left) and Phyllis Boone in the hallway at the caucus site in Ames, Iowa.
Joeff Davis
Amy Klobuchar supporters gather in Ames, Iowa, caucus floor. They did not have enough supporters to be viable after the first round of voting. They had forty-eight, but needed eighty-five to remain viable.
Amy Klobuchar supporters gather in Ames, Iowa, caucus floor. They did not have enough supporters to be viable after the first round of voting. They had forty-eight, but needed eighty-five to remain viable.
Joeff Davis
Tom Steyer precinct captain, Joseph Lekowski. “Tom is the only candidate who will treat climate change like the national emergency it is,” he said. Steyer had twelve people assembled for him after the first alignment and so he was not viable, he would have needed eighty-five for viability at this caucus location.
Joeff Davis
A voter receives his green dot allowing him to enter the caucus area and align with a candidate.
A voter receives his green dot allowing him to enter the caucus area and align with a candidate.
Joeff Davis
People raise their hands to request presidential preference cards.
People raise their hands to request presidential preference cards.
Joeff Davis
Sanders supporters celebrate the announcement that their candidate had received enough votes to be viable at this location. The Vermont Senator had 227 people align with him after the first alignment, giving him the most of any candidate at this site. Elizabeth Warren came in second with 138, and Pete Buttigieg finished third with fifty-one. After the second round, Sanders had 248, and Warren had 196; no other candidates had enough members to remain viable at this caucus site.
Joeff Davis
Pete Buttigieg’s precinct captain counts the number of supporters during the second alignment to see if they have enough to make Buttigieg viable. They didn’t.
Joeff Davis
Supporters of Bernie Sanders are extremely high energy at his caucus party at the Holiday Inn Des Moines Airport Hotel and Conference Center.
Supporters of Bernie Sanders are extremely high energy at his caucus party at the Holiday Inn Des Moines Airport Hotel and Conference Center.
Joeff Davis
Sanders addresses the crowd at the Holiday Inn Des Moines Airport Hotel and Conference Center.
Sanders addresses the crowd at the Holiday Inn Des Moines Airport Hotel and Conference Center.
Joeff Davis
The party is over. A flag banner lies crumbled up on chairs at the end of the Joe Biden event at the Olmsted Center at Drake University.
The party is over. A flag banner lies crumbled up on chairs at the end of the Joe Biden event at the Olmsted Center at Drake University.