DES MOINES, Iowa (KELO/WHO/AP) — The Iowa Democratic Party said Monday night that results from the state’s first-in-the-nation caucus were indefinitely delayed due to “quality checks” and “inconsistencies” in some reporting, an embarrassing complication that added a new layer of doubt to an already uncertain presidential primary season.
The party said the problem was not a result of a “hack or an intrusion.”
The statement came after Iowa voters packed caucus sites across the state with at least four leading candidates battling to win the opening contest of the 2020 campaign, and ultimately, the opportunity to take on President Donald Trump this fall.
Monday’s confusion allowed every candidate to claim momentum, though no results were announced by the state party as Monday night was about to turn to Tuesday.
“It looks like it’s going to be a long night, but we’re feeling good,” former Vice President Joe Biden said, suggesting the final results would “be close.” “We’re in this for the long haul.”
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said he had “a good feeling we’re going to be doing very, very well here in Iowa” once results were posted. “Today marks the beginning of the end for Donald Trump,” he predicted.
“Listen, it’s too close to call,” Warren told hundreds of supporters who cheered and chanted her name at a results watch party in downtown Des Moines. She echoed Biden’s optimism: “The road won’t be easy. But we are built for the long haul.”
And Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was most certain.
“So we don’t know all the results, but, we know by the time it’s all said and done, Iowa you have shocked the nation.,” he said. “By all indications, we are going on to New Hampshire victorious.”
Democrats had hoped that Iowa’s caucuses would provide some clarity for what has been a muddled nomination fight for much of the past year. Instead, as Monday turned to Tuesday with no results in sight, they faced the possibility that whatever numbers they ultimately released would be questioned.
Party officials held a call with campaigns as concerns were growing. They noted that turnout was not any higher than it was four years earlier.
Spokeswoman Mandy McClure said the party “found inconsistencies in the reporting of three sets of results.”
“In addition to the tech systems being used to tabulate results, we are also using photos of results and a paper trail to validate that all results match and ensure that we have confidence and accuracy in the numbers we report,” she said. “This is simply a reporting issue, the app did not go down and this is not a hack or an intrusion. The underlying data and paper trail is sound and will simply take time to further report the results.”
Des Moines County Democratic Chair Tom Courtney blamed technology issues in his county, relaying precinct reports that the app created for caucus organizers to report results was “a mess.” As a result, Courtney said precinct leaders were phoning in results to the state party headquarters, which was too busy to answer their calls in some cases.
Earlier in the night, Iowa voters across the state cast their votes balancing a strong preference for fundamental change with an overwhelming desire to defeat Trump. They were sorting through nearly a dozen candidates in a contest that offered the opening test of who and what the party stands for in the turbulent age of Trump.
It’s just the first in a primary season that will span all 50 states and several U.S. territories, ending only at the party’s national convention in mid-July.
For Democrats, the moment was thick with promise for a party that has seized major gains in states since Trump won the White House in 2016. But instead of clear optimism, a growing cloud of uncertainty and intraparty resentment hung over the election as the prospect of an unclear result raised fears of a long and divisive primary fight in the months ahead.
One unsurprising development: Trump won the Republican caucus, a largely symbolic victory given that he faced no significant opposition.
The president’s campaign eagerly seized on the Democrats’ problems.
“Democrats are stewing in a caucus mess of their own creation with the sloppiest train wreck in history,” Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said. “It would be natural for people to doubt the fairness of the process. And these are the people who want to run our entire health care system?”
Pre-caucus polls suggested that Sanders entered the night with a narrow lead, but any of the top four candidates — Sanders, Biden, Warren and Buttigieg — was positioned to score a victory. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who represents neighboring Minnesota, was also claiming momentum, while outsider candidates including entrepreneur Andrew Yang, billionaire activist Tom Steyer and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard could be factors.
“We know one thing: We are punching above our weight,” Klobuchar said late Monday, promising to keep fighting in next-up New Hampshire.
New voters played a significant role in shaping Iowa’s election.
About one quarter of all voters reported that they were caucusing for the first time, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of voters who said they planned to take part in Monday’s Democratic caucuses. The first-timers were slightly more likely to support Sanders, Warren or Buttigieg, compared with other candidates.
At the same time, VoteCast found that roughly two-thirds of caucusgoers said supporting a candidate who would fundamentally change how the system in Washington works was important to their vote. That compared to about a third of caucusgoers who said it was more important to support a candidate who would restore the political system to how it was before Trump’s election in 2016.
Not surprisingly, nearly every Iowa Democrat said the ability to beat Trump was an important quality for a presidential nominee. VoteCast found that measure outranked others as the most important quality for a nominee.
Iowa offers just a tiny percentage of the delegates needed to win the nomination but typically plays an outsize role in culling primary fields. A poor showing in Iowa could cause a front-runner’s fundraising to slow and support in later states to dwindle, while a strong result can give a candidate much needed momentum.
The past several Democrats who won the Iowa caucuses went on to clinch the party’s nomination.
The 2020 fight has already played out over myriad distractions, particularly congressional Democrats’ push to impeach Trump, which has often overshadowed the primary and effectively pinned several leading candidates to Washington at the pinnacle of the early campaign season.
Meanwhile, ultrabillionaire Mike Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, is running a parallel campaign that ignores Iowa as he prepares to pounce on any perceived weaknesses in the field come March.
The amalgam of oddities, including new rules for reporting the already complicated caucus results, was building toward what could be a murky Iowa finale before the race pivots quickly to New Hampshire, which votes just eight days later.
New party rules may give more than one candidate an opportunity to claim victory in Iowa, even if they aren’t the official winner.
For the first time, the Iowa Democratic Party reported three sets of results at the end of the state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses: a tally of caucus-goers’ initial candidate preference; vote totals from the “final alignment” after supporters of lower-ranking candidates were able to make a second choice, and the total number of State Delegate Equivalents each candidate receives.
There is no guarantee that all three will show the same winner.
The Associated Press will declare a winner based on the number of state delegates each candidate wins, which has been the traditional standard.
THE LATEST
WHO-TV wraps live coverage
Posted: Feb 4, 2020 / 12:13 a.m.
Early Tuesday morning, WHO-TV wrapped live coverage of the Iowa Caucuses as still no official results were in, as of 12:10 a.m. (CT).
Watch for continuing coverage on Tuesday right here from Your Local Election Headquarters.
Caucus organizers had just hours to test new app
Posted: Feb 4, 2020 / 12:03 a.m.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Organizers running precincts for Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses didn’t get to test the mobile app they were to use to report results until just hours before voting began.
Iowa party officials had said they would not be sending the new mobile app to precinct chairs for downloading until just before the caucuses to narrow the window for any interference. Some precinct chairs said they had trouble downloading or logging into the app and didn’t use it.
As of late Monday, the Iowa Democratic Party had yet to report any results, saying they have been delayed because of “inconsistencies” in the count.
An Iowa Democratic Party manual had told caucus organizers that the app was the “preferred method” for reporting results. It listed a single phone number for those who chose to call them in from the 1,678 statewide precincts.
The manual laid out how the app would work: Organizers would log into the app using a PIN listed on their Caucus Math Worksheet when they called the meeting to order. They would enter the number of participants and the app would calculate the “viability threshold” for the site.
Organizers would then use the app to report the results of the first and final alignments, and the app would calculate the number of delegates each campaign won. Lastly, they would take a photo of the Caucus Math Worksheet with the written results as a backup.
Protester Dragged Out After Confronting Donald Trump Jr. in Iowa
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 11:59 p.m.
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — A protester had to be dragged away after confronting Donald Trump Jr. at a press conference in West Des Moines Monday afternoon.
According to progressive Jewish movement IfNotNow, the activist blamed President Donald Trump and Trump Jr. for promoting conspiracy theories that have inspired violence against Jewish people.
As the protester was removed from the room, Trump Jr. defended his father, saying, “I don’t think anyone has done more for Israel and American Jews than Donald Trump.”
Lara Trump, Eric Trump and Trump Jr. are among the president’s surrogates in Iowa on caucus night.
At the press conference, they made two main points. They are confident President Trump will win in Iowa again, and they appreciate the immense support they have received from Iowans.
“We’re here in Iowa to show the people that we take this election seriously. We are playing every second of the game until the very last second because while we feel very strongly about the president’s reelection chances, we want to make very sure of that,” said Lara Trump.
Buttigieg declares victory amid Iowa vote delay
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 11:50 p.m.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg is declaring victory in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, even though no official results have been reported.
Speaking to supporters late Monday in Des Moines, the Democratic presidential candidate says, “By all indications, we are going on to New Hampshire victorious.”
He adds: “Tonight, an improbable hope became an undeniable reality.”
The Iowa Democratic Party has yet to report any results, saying they have been delayed because of “inconsistencies” in the count.
Buttigieg acknowledged the confusion in his speech, saying, “We don’t know all the results.” He added that still, “Iowa, you have shocked the nation.”
Polls going into Iowa’s caucuses had showed Buttigieg among the front-runners, along with Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden.
Iowa caucus takeaways: Voters send message, but count a mess
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 11:45 p.m.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Iowa Democrats tried out some new rules for reporting the results of its caucuses that start the presidential nominating press. It did not go well, and as a result, the impact is somewhat muted. Still, voters gave strong opinions on issues and the kind of candidate they want to challenge President Donald Trump. Here are some key takeaways from the Associated Press.
DOESN’T ANYBODY HERE KNOW HOW TO PLAY THIS GAME?
The Iowa caucuses are hard enough for people to understand, with second choices, realignments and claims of viability. Most people expect that in an election, ballots are cast, votes are counted and winners are declared.
Iowa started out with that good intention, even with new rules that required Democrats to issue three sets of numbers. Then the numbers didn’t come. There were problems with a new app. The Iowa Democratic Party said it had found “inconsistencies” in the count. Confidence was not inspired. And candidates had justifiable reasons to discount the results.
In the process, Iowa undermined its authority with Democratic voters. For almost 50 years, Iowa has taken pride in going first. Will this be the last time the state can say that?
A PARTY DIVIDED
The caucus voters clearly indicated that Iowa did not resolve the ideological war within the Democratic Party.
In fact, AP VoteCast shows voters indicated both a powerful desire to beat President Donald Trump, which would suggest a premium on electability — a kind of code for a more moderate candidate — and a strong preference for fundamental change, which would favor progressive calls for policies like Medicare for All.
But caucusgoers also wanted bipartisanship — about 6 in 10 said they wanted a nominee who’d work across party lines, which is very much not what the liberal candidates have pledged. The contradiction helps explain why the results were so mixed.
Voters for months have been saying they didn’t know who was the best pick to take on Trump, and they showed their indecisiveness on caucus night. On the left, the rivalry persists between Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. In a pitch to more moderate voters, former vice president Joe Biden couldn’t shake former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg.
And there’s that candidate with basically an unlimited budget waiting for those who survive until Super Tuesday: former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
MEDICARE FOR ALL IS POPULAR
Health care was the top issue for voters, and a majority of voters were in favor of a single-payer system. Seven in 10 caucus-goers supported the plan.
The biggest fight of the primary has been over Sanders’ Medicare for All system, which would transform one-eighth of the nation’s economy into a single-payer, government-run system.
Still, support for single-payer was not nearly as many as the 9 in 10 who backed a program where people can buy into a government-run health insurance plan — the proposal of most other candidates in the race.
Sanders’ voters are motivated by his push to provide universal health care and forgive student debt.
At the start of the caucuses, nearly 8 in 10 of Sanders’ backers strongly favored putting all Americans onto government insurance. Only one other candidate enjoyed nearly as much backing on the issue, with just over half of Warren voters saying they, too, strongly favored government insurance for everyone.
Almost two-thirds of Sanders supporters also strongly favor the cancellation of student debt, an issue that naturally dovetails with the disproportionate support he received from voters younger than 30.
BERNIE IS NOT A UNIFIER, SO FAR
Majorities of Iowa voters say they would be satisfied with any of the top candidates — Biden, Buttigieg, Sanders, Warren or Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar — and that’s true even among most of those candidates’ supporters.
But Sanders supporters were especially negative about other candidates: Just about 3 in 10 said they would be satisfied if Biden were the nominee. About 4 in 10 said they would be satisfied with Klobuchar, and about half said the same of Buttigieg.
Supporters of Biden, Buttigieg and Klobuchar were not nearly as negative as Sanders’ supporters, but less than thrilled about a Sanders nomination. Just about 4 in 10 Buttigieg and Klobuchar supporters said they would be satisfied with Sanders as the nominee; about half of Biden’s supporters said the same.
Warren stands out, with majorities of voters supporting other top candidates saying they would be satisfied with her as the nominee.
WOMEN VOTED FOR WOMEN
Democratic voters — especially women — have often fretted whether a woman could win the 2020 election after Hillary Clinton lost her bid to become the country’s first female president.
Some female caucusgoers seem willing to take the risk.
Roughly two-thirds of both Warren’s supporters and Klobuchar’s supporters were women, according to AP VoteCast.
But about half of women in Iowa said it would be harder for a female nominee to defeat Trump in November, compared with just about a third of men who said the same.
Warren campaign manager calls Iowa delays a mess
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 11:43 p.m.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The campaign manager for Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren is calling delays in the Iowa caucus results “a mess” and says that “every second that passes sort of undermines the process a little bit.”
Roger Lau told reporters at Warren’s watch party in Des Moines late Monday that the campaign had seen very little official data. But he said based on the campaign’s own internal figures, it sees a three-way jumble at the top with Warren, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg. He says their internal numbers show Joe Biden “a distant fourth.”
Lau says that he wasn’t on the call the state party had with all the campaigns but that a representative from Warren’s campaign was.
Iowa Democratic officials said results in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses were delayed because of unspecified “quality checks.” They called the problem a “reporting issue.”
Lau also said that he didn’t know if there would be further calls or updates, saying only, “I hope so.”
“We’re happy getting out of Iowa and with a ticket to New Hampshire,” Lao said.
A slice of the Iowa caucus process in Larchwood
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 11:40 p.m.
LARCHWOOD, Iowa (KELO) — Voting took place in more than 1,600 precincts across the state of Iowa for the 2020 caucuses on Monday, and KELOLAND News was at one location in northwest Iowa where two precincts voted.
“We in Iowa get to show up and with our neighbors, show our voice, tell people who we like, who we don’t like, what we like about them, and really talk to our neighbors,” Precinct 5 chair Trisha Kreman of Larchwood said.
Precincts 4 and 5 voted in the Democratic Iowa caucuses in Larchwood. Ahead of the votes, KELOLAND News spoke with people who were set to participate.
“I’m very interested in politics and I’m a Democrat, so this is where I should be,” Sylvia Stettnichs of Lyon County said.
“I think it’s important to be involved, and as a teacher I like to make sure that I am involved, and part of these decisions that are so important to our future,” Janelle Rentschler of Larchwood said.
“I was curious about the process, and I was encouraged by my government teacher to at least go to one of the caucuses, either this one or the other one,” Curtis Dubbelde of Lyon County said.
The three have different answers to the question of what issue is most important.
“Health care is my number one issue because people can’t live without health care- it’s a basic human need,” Stettnichs said.
“Preserving the Bill of Rights,” Dubbelde said.
“Environment is number one,” Rentschler said.
But, as Rentschler and other voters look ahead to November, she says there is something more.
“I don’t feel like I can vote based on what really represents me and who I think represents me best,” Rentschler said. “My main issue is going to be to be with the person who’s going to beat Trump and that’s my goal.”
In the end, for Precincts 4 and 5 in Larchwood on Monday, Amy Klobuchar is receiving the most delegates for the Lyon County Democratic Convention.
Republican Party of Iowa Chair Defends Iowa Democrats on Caucus Night
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 11:30 p.m.
DES MOINES, Iowa (WHO) — The Iowa Democratic Party is coming under attack on caucus night for issues reporting results, but not from the head of the Republican Party of Iowa.
Republican Party chair Jeff Kaufmann joined WHO-TV’s live caucus night coverage to defend his Democratic counterparts for their handling of caucus night reporting issues.
Hours after caucuses had ended, Democrats had failed to report more than two-percent of results statewide.
Kaufmann tells WHO-TV that Democrats are doing the right thing by making sure their numbers are correct before publishing them.
“The accuracy of results of the Iowa Caucuses does not have a deadline,” Kauffman said.
Kauffman said the only ones truly upset about the lack of immediate results on Monday night were national media members.
Kaufmann said he speaks from experience on the importance of waiting.
“The Republican Party went through this in 2012 when they put out inaccurate results,” Kauffman said about the caucus night announcement of Mitt Romney as winner, when a recount two weeks later showed Rick Santorum had actually won here.
“The accuracy here is more important than rapidity,” Kauffman said.
Expert: New technology ‘risky’ close to election
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 11:25 p.m.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An elections expert says deploying new technology so close to an election is “always a risky proposition” amid a delay in results from Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses.
Des Moines County Chair Tom Courtney said that in his county, an app created for caucus organizers to report results was “a mess” and organizers were instead having to call in results to the state party on Monday night.
Iowa party officials had said they would not be sending the new mobile app to precinct chairs for downloading until just before the caucuses — to narrow the window for any interference.
Lawrence Norden, elections expert with The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, said that was akin to a major retailer using new cash registers for the first time on Black Friday.
“To roll out a new technology without really testing it and making it available as early as possible and giving folks the opportunity to challenge it and work out all the bugs is a high-stakes decision which I think is proving to be problematic today,” Norden said.
Norden said party officials were wise to slow down the reporting to ensure accurate results, given concerns of another round of election interference by Russia or other hostile governments seeking to undermine U.S. democracy.
‘The App Didn’t Work’: Democrats Having Trouble Reporting Caucus Results
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 11:25 p.m.
LUCAS COUNTY, Iowa (WHO) — Results from the 2020 Democratic caucuses in Iowa are coming in at a snail’s pace on Monday night, and one precinct chair in southern Iowa thinks he knows why.
“The app didn’t work,” said Greg Cohen a precinct chair in Lucas County.
Cohen said the vote itself Monday night in his precinct wasn’t unusual. However, Cohen said he and three other precinct chairs who he spoke with all reported their PIN was not working with the new app being used to record caucus results. Cohen said he and other precinct chairs instead have to phone in results as they’ve done in years past.
The Iowa Democratic Party admits they are dealing with delays in reporting. They released this statement Monday night:
“We found inconsistencies in the reporting of three sets of results. In addition to the tech systems being used to tabulate results, we are also using photos of results and a paper trail to validate that all results match and ensure that we have confidence and accuracy in the numbers we report. This is simply a reporting issue, the app did not go down and this is not a hack or an intrusion. The underlying data and paper trail is sound and will simply take time to further report the results.” — IDP Communications Director Mandy McClure
Biden claims success in Iowa despite vote delay
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 11:03 p.m.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Joe Biden is declaring success in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses despite results not yet being released by the state Democratic Party.
“We feel good about where we are, so it’s onto New Hampshire,” Biden said Monday night, adding that he’d “walk out of here with our share of delegates.”
The Iowa Democratic Party says the caucus results have been delayed because of unspecified “quality checks.” They say, however, that the problem is a “reporting issue,” not a “hack or an intrusion.”
Biden has said he didn’t have to win Iowa to win the nomination, but he wanted to avoid a bad showing.
Several donors attending his Des Moines watch party said they want to see Biden finish in the top three in Iowa to boost confidence going forward as the race moves to more diverse states where Biden is expected to be stronger.
For his part, Biden stuck to his usual argument, making President Donald Trump his target. “Each of us knows, deep in our bones, that everything this nation stands for is at stake,” Biden said.
Warren says Iowa caucus is ‘too close to call’
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 10:55 p.m.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Elizabeth Warren says the results of the Iowa caucus are “too close to call” and instead used much of a speech at her caucus party to criticize President Donald Trump.
The Massachusetts senator told hundreds who gathered to cheer her on in downtown Des Moines on Monday night: “We don’t know all the results tonight, but tonight has already shown that Americans have a hunger for big structural change.”
Her White House bid calls for fundamentally remaking the nation’s economic and political system.
Warren said, “A president’s values matters and the only thing Donald Trump values is Donald Trump.” She said the president believes “government is a tool to enrich himself and his corrupt buddies at everyone else’s expense.”
She said: “If you can imagine an America where people, not money, come first, then this campaign is for you.”
Although the Iowa results aren’t yet clear, she added: “Tonight we are one step closer to winning the fight for the America we believe is possible.”
The Iowa Democratic Party says the caucus results have been delayed because of unspecified “quality checks.”
Democratic caucus results delayed by mobile app issues
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 10:53 p.m.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa Democratic Party official pointed to “quality control” as the source of the delays — but noted that about a quarter of the state’s nearly 1,700 precincts have reported their data already. The party also said the delay was not caused by a “hack or an intrusion.”
But other officials blamed technology. Des Moines County Democratic Chair Tom Courtney said he heard that in precincts across his county, including his own, a mobile app created for caucus organizers to report results to the party was “a mess.”
Precinct leaders were instead calling in their results to the Democratic Party headquarters, and “they weren’t answering the phones in Des Moines” because, Courtney speculated, they were mobbed with calls.
The apps were barely working, forcing party aides to record results from the precincts via phone and enter them manually into a database, according to a person involved in processing the data who requested anonymity to discuss the party’s internal process.
The slowdown came as the party attempted to report more data about the caucus than in years past — promising to release both a headcount of each candidates’ supporters and the delegate winners from each site.
“The integrity of the results is paramount,” Iowa Democratic Party spokeswoman Mandy McClure said in a statement. “We have experienced a delay in the results due to quality checks and the fact that the IDP is reporting out three data sets for the first time. What we know right now is that around 25% of precincts have reported, and early data indicates turnout is on pace for 2016.”
The problems were an embarrassment for a state party that has long sought to protect its prized status as the first contest in the primary race. The delay was certain to become fodder for caucus critics who call the process antiquated and exclusionary.
President Donald Trump’s campaign quickly seized on the issue to sow doubt about the validity of the results.
“Quality control = rigged?” Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale tweeted Monday evening, adding a emoji with furrowed brows.
Linn County Auditor Joel Miller, who ran a precinct in the Cedar Rapids suburb of Robins, said some app users may not have gotten the instructions on how to log into the system.
“If people didn’t know where to look for the PIN numbers or the precinct numbers, that could slow them down,” said Miller, who said he had no problem using the system to report his precinct’s figures and it worked fine.
Helen Grunewald, a precinct caucus chairwoman in Benton County, said she had been on hold with the party trying to report her results for a significant amount of time.
Earlier in the night, however, Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price said while there were some reports from precinct officials that they couldn’t log into the mobile app, a team of trouble-shooters was working to address any technical issues.
“We’ve had an app before but we’ve also had a hotline before, and folks have had the option to do that, and so we expect that we’ll be able to report the results in a timely manner this evening,” he said.
Klobuchar appears on stage amid Iowa vote delays
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 10:47 p.m.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar is the first Democratic presidential candidate to address the delayed Iowa caucus results, saying, “We know one thing: we are punching above our weight.”
The Iowa Democratic Party says the caucus results have been delayed because of unspecified “quality checks.” They say, however, that the problem is a “reporting issue,” not a “hack or an intrusion.”
Klobuchar appeared on stage late Monday as the hours ticked by without any vote totals being reported from Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses.
The senator built her campaign around a strong performance in Iowa. While the results are unknown, she says, “We are bringing this ticket to New Hampshire.”
Iowa Dems say vote count delays not from hacking
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 10:35 p.m.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Iowa Democratic Party says the delay in reporting caucus results is the result of a “reporting issue” and not because of a “hack or an intrusion.”
Communications director Mandy McClure said Monday night that the party “found inconsistencies in the reporting of three sets of results.”
She says the party is using photos of the results and a paper trail to “validate that all results match and ensure that we have confidence and accuracy in the numbers we report.”
She says: “The underlying data and paper trail is sound and will simply take time to further report the results.”
It was not immediately clear how long it would take the state party to produce results. Iowa holds the nation’s first presidential voting contest.
Iowa Dems hold emergency meeting with campaigns
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 10:30 p.m.
Iowa Democratic Party officials are holding a phone call with campaigns amid delays in reporting caucus results.
People familiar with the decision spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to describe the private call.
The Iowa Democratic Party said earlier Monday night that it was experiencing a delay in reporting results from the first-in-the nation caucuses because of unspecified “quality checks.”
Communications director Mandy McClure said in a statement Monday night that the delay is also the result of the party reporting three sets of data for the first time.
McClure says the party has data so far from “around 25%” of the state’s 1,765 precincts and “and early data indicates turnout is on pace for 2016.”
— Associated Press writer Alexandra Jaffe
Dems blame ‘quality checks’ on late Iowa results
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 9:50 p.m.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Democratic Party says it is experiencing a delay in reporting results from the first-in-the nation caucuses because of unspecified “quality checks.”
Communications director Mandy McClure said in a statement Monday night that the delay is also the result of the party reporting three sets of data for the first time.
McClure says the party has data so far from “around 25%” of the state’s 1,765 precincts and “and early data indicates turnout is on pace for 2016.”
The Iowa Democratic Party had decided to report three sets of results: tallies for the “first alignment” and “final alignment,” as well as each candidate’s total of “state delegate equivalents.” Previously, only each candidate’s ultimate number of state convention delegates had been reported.
The Associated Press will declare the winner based on the number of state delegate equivalents.
Caucusgoer weighs Bernie and Amy, votes for Pete
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 09:33 PM CST
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The minutes kept ticking by, and Bryan Pollpeter just couldn’t decide.
In the first round Pollpeter was undecided, and as the deadline neared in the second and final round, he stood near the doors at the Hoover High School gym in north Des Moines and looked a bit desperate.
“I like them all, but I’m kind of swinging between Amy and Bernie,” he said, referring to Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who run the political spectrum from moderate to democratic socialist.
Pollpeter, a worker at the Des Moines Water Works, acknowledges they have different views, but he found both engaging.
Ultimately, though, he was persuaded to join with Pete Buttigieg. “I was standing over by the Amy people, but no one talked to me,” he said. “A Pete woman came over so I said, well, OK, I’ll go with Pete.”
He added, “I just want to beat Trump.”
Election results begin to come in
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 09:00 PM CST
IOWA (WHO) — Scroll up in this story, we have election results coming in. There is a new process for caucusing this year. Click here to learn how it works.
Long lines, some delays as voters arrive at Iowa caucuses
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 08:40 PM CST
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Lines of people snaked out the door and down the block waiting to enter an Iowa caucus site Monday, among the early signs of strong turnout as Democrats begin choosing a nominee to take on President Donald Trump.
Organizers of a precinct site in downtown Iowa City said the start of the caucus had to be delayed by more than an hour, as hundreds of people were still waiting to check in or register to vote. Inside the Englert Theatre near the University of Iowa, 500 first-floor seats were mostly full and organizers were opening an additional 200 seats in the balcony.
In Polk County, Iowa’s largest county and home to the capital city, Des Moines, Democratic county party chairman Sean Bagniewski said the party had printed tens of thousands of extra voter registration forms but some precincts were running out.
“We’re making copies and deliveries to get them covered, but this caucus is gonna be the big one,” Bagniewski tweeted.
It’s too soon to tell what final turnout numbers will be, though some party officials and campaigns were expecting far more people to participate than four years ago, due to Democrats’ enthusiasm to replace Trump.
(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
About 170,000 turned out in 2016. The high-water mark for the contest was the 2008 Iowa Democratic caucuses, when nearly 240,000 participated and Barack Obama defeated Hillary Clinton and Martin O’Malley.
Caucusgoers reported packed rooms in other locations. More than 500 people crowded into a room at the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame in Iowa City to caucus, with many sitting on the floor. Around 400 people were at a high school cafeteria in Des Moines. In Davenport, 130 gathered at a middle school gymnasium.
In Iowa City, cheers erupted in the packed theater after precinct organizer Lois Cox announced that the last people in line had finally made it inside the building. “We’ll start momentarily!” she said.
A look inside from Nexstar reporters across Iowa
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 08:19 PM CST
Warren makes appearance at Iowa caucus site
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 08:03 PM CST
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren is visiting a caucus site in Des Moines as voting gets underway in the nation’s leadoff voting state.
▶ Watch the video on WHOtv.com
The Massachusetts senator addressed hundreds of caucusgoers Monday night at a high school gymnasium. She sought to promote a message of unity, saying, “I’m someone who treats all of our Democrats with respect.”
She says the party should nominate a candidate whose campaign organization is as strong nationally as hers is in leadoff Iowa. She added: “I’ve got a great national organization.”
Many of her supporters wore green, the signature color of the Massachusetts senator’s campaign. They chanted, “Warren! Warren!” People caucusing for other candidates also applauded, but a large group of supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders responded, “Bernie beats Trump!”
Party says app mishap won’t hinder Iowa caucuses
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 07:58 PM CST
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Democratic Party officials say an early issue with a mobile app designed to report results will not hinder the Iowa caucus process.
Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price said Monday that there were some reports from precinct officials that they couldn’t log into the app during the first-in-the-nation caucuses.
He said a team of troubleshooters is working to address any technical issues.
He added that the party has alternate ways for precincts to send in results, including a hotline.
“We’ve had an app before, but we’ve also had a hotline before, and folks have had the option to do that, and so we expect that we’ll be able to report the results in a timely manner this evening,” he said.
The app was designed to allow for the quick filing of results, and the issue appears to be the result of different PINs used for early testing and caucus night logins.
High turnout delays caucus at big Iowa precinct
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 07:55 PM CST
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Organizers at a large precinct in downtown Iowa City say the caucus may be delayed by an hour or longer as hundreds of people wait to register to vote or check in.
By 7:25 p.m., the 500 seats on the first floor of the Englert Theatre was mostly full and organizers opened up the balcony for more than 200 extra seats. Supporters of several campaigns sat in rows.
Many others who were in line by 7 p.m. were still outside waiting to check in, the lines snaking a block in both directions. The precinct is dominated by the University of Iowa campus and campaigns are vying for nine delegates here.
Iowa kicks off voting in the nation for the presidential race. It is the first contest to measure support for the Democratic candidates.
Voters are gathered at more than 1,700 sites throughout Iowa to declare support for their preferred candidate. They then will participate in “alignment,” which allows supporters of eliminated candidates to choose again.
Inside a satellite caucus site in Washington, DC
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 07:45 PM CST
WASHINGTON (KELO/Nexstar) — Nexstar DC Reporter Raquel Martin is at a caucus location in the nation’s capital.
Trump wins 2020 Iowa Republican caucuses
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 07:30 PM CST
IOWA (AP) — President Donald Trump is the winner of the 2020 Iowa Republican caucuses, a largely symbolic vote as he was facing no significant opposition.
Still, Trump’s campaign was using Monday’s contest to test its organizational strength, deploying Cabinet secretaries, top Republican officials and Trump family members to the state.
It’s unusual for Iowa to even be holding a GOP contest with an incumbent in the White House. The Iowa Republican caucuses were canceled in 1992 and 2004. But GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufman said state officials were determined to keep the caucuses in place this year to maintain the state’s status as the first in the nation to cast its ballots.
The Iowa caucuses begins
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 07:20 PM CST
IOWA (AP) — Iowa offers just a tiny percentage of the delegates needed to win the nomination but plays an outsize role in culling primary fields. A poor showing in Iowa could cause a front-runner’s fundraising to slow and support in later states to dwindle, while a strong result can give a candidate much needed momentum.
The past several Democrats who won the Iowa caucuses went on to clinch the party’s nomination.
“If anybody tells you they know who’s going to win, either they’ve got a whisper from God or they’re loony because nobody knows.”
Deidre DeJear, who announced her support for Warren on Monday and was the first black woman to win a statewide primary in Iowa
New party rules may give more than one candidate an opportunity to claim victory, even if they aren’t the official winner.
For the first time, the Iowa Democratic Party will report three sets of results at the end of the night: tallies of the “first alignment” of caucusgoers, their “final alignment” and the total number of state delegate equivalents each candidate receives. There is no guarantee that all three will show the same winner.
The Associated Press will declare a winner based on the number of state delegates each candidate wins, which has been the traditional standard.
Nation’s 1st presidential caucuses begin in Iowa
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 07:00 PM CST
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses have officially begun in Iowa.
At 7 p.m. Central time on Monday, voters gathered at more than 1,700 sites throughout Iowa began declaring support for their preferred candidate. They then will participate in “alignment,” which allows supporters of eliminated candidates to choose again.
For the first time this year, the Iowa Democratic Party will report three sets of results: tallies for the “first alignment” and “final alignment,” as well as each candidate’s total of “state delegate equivalents.” Previously, only each candidate’s ultimate number of state convention delegates has been reported.
The Associated Press will declare the winner based on the number of state delegate equivalents.
Polls suggest Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders may have a narrow lead, but any of the top four candidates — Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg — could score victory in the unpredictable caucus system.
AP VoteCast: Health care, climate are top issues in Iowa
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 06:57 PM CST
WASHINGTON (AP) — Iowa Democrats came to the state’s caucuses Monday with key issues dominating their thoughts:
Health care, climate change and a fierce motivation to unseat President Donald Trump.
AP Photo/John Locher, File
More than the economy, immigration or foreign policy, Democrats in the nation’s opening round of presidential primaries were mostly focused on access to medical treatment and the health of a planet being rapidly warmed by the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities.
AP VoteCast is a survey of more than 2,700 voters who said they planned to take part in Monday’s Democratic caucuses in Iowa, conducted for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago.
In a time of political divide, these two Iowans swapped parties
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 06:10 PM CST
DES MOINES, Iowa (WHO) — Big crowds and plenty of debate could make for a long evening as Iowans sort out who to support at the caucuses. For two Iowans, picking the political party was harder than picking a candidate.
Meet Lisa Fleishman and Frank Moran. Fleishman was raised Republican. Moran was raised a Democrat. As they grew up, they outgrew the family political preference.
“I didn’t leave the Republican Party, but they sure left me,” said Fleishman. “This is not the party of Bob Ray. Definitely not the party of Lincoln. I don’t know what’s happened to them, but they’re unrecognizable to me.”
“I don’t recognize that party. I can’t feel angry at them because I don’t recognize them. It’s so far left. I’ve never seen anything like that and I never thought you would,” said Moran.
In a time of a strong partisan divide, these two swapped sides.
“When I changed my party affiliation, it was about doing the right thing, it was about my values, it was about who I am as a person,” said Fleishman.
For Fleishman, the switch came during President Barack Obama’s first term.
“The very ‘us versus them’ type of mentality and I thought … people who think differently than you aren’t your enemy,” said Fleishman.
That was a hard sell to her Republican friends and family.
“They thought I was making a huge mistake and that I had gone over to the ‘other side,’” said Fleishman.
The ‘other side’ didn’t match Moran’s values.
“You’re hearing free health care for all. Nothing is free. Somebody is going to pay for it,” said Moran.
He saw Democrats as the party of handouts, rather than hard work.
“My dad died when I was young and my mom went out and worked for us. You just go out and do it. You just do it. Nobody hands you anything,” said Moran.
Like Fleishman, Moran also coped with the backlash from his newfound support of the Republican Party.
“I’ve had my cars vandalized, I’ve had my life threatened, all because I’m a Donald Trump supporter,” said Moran.
Despite the resistance, both say their values are what convinced them to change parties.
“Our values are not the kinds of things that shift back and forth and back and forth, but who we vote for might,” said Arthur Sanders, a Drake University political science professor. Sanders says that makes Moran and Fleishman unique.
“You get practically no ticket splitters these days. If you vote Democrat, you vote Democrat all the way down the line. If you vote Republican, you vote Republican all the way down the line,” said Sanders.
In 2008, active voters were split pretty evenly into thirds. About 30 percent were Republicans, 35 percent Democrats and 35 percent independents. There were only slight differences by 2016.
As of this month, both parties have lost active voters, with a growing number of Iowans registering as independents.
“Independents are sometimes willing to go back and forth, but they are a pretty small group. Still in a very tight election, that can make a difference,” said Sanders.
Fleishman and Moran hope to be that difference. Fleishman is working to help Pete Buttigieg win the Democratic nomination, and Moran will be voting for Trump this November. Though they are on opposite sides, both have the same goal.
“We have got to come together. How that’s going to be, I don’t know,” said Moran.
“There is an opportunity for us to come together as a country. We’re all on the same team. We’re all Iowans. We’re all Americans. We better start acting like it,” said Fleishman.
AP VoteCast: Iowa Democratic voters seek fundamental change
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 06:05 PM CST
IOWA (AP) — As voters in Iowa decided on a candidate to support, AP VoteCast measured whether change in Washington or a return to the way things were was more important.
An American caucus in Paris
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 05:50 PM CST
PARIS, France (WHO) — Caucus night has come and gone already in the City of Lights.
More than a dozen Iowans gathered on Monday evening in Paris, France to take part in one of the first-ever international Iowa caucuses.
Ankeny-native and University of Iowa student Emily Hagedorn joined Dan Winters and Erin Kiernan via Facetime from Paris to talk about the historic gathering.
▶ Watch the video on WHOtv.com
Big turnout at satellite caucus in Florida
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 05:45 PM CST
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA/WHO) — Hours before voters headed to the caucuses in Iowa, voters living outside of the state were already gathering to pick their candidate.
Satellite voting was held for the first time ever around the world.
Evan Dononvan with WFLA joined Iowa snowbirds as they made history in the warmth of the Florida sun today.
▶ Watch the video on WHOtv.com
The Art of Persuasion: How an Iowa Democratic Caucus Works
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 05:25 PM CST
DES MOINES, Iowa (WHO) — When it comes to picking the next president, no one does it like Iowa Democrats.
The process is unlike any other, with neighbors coming together to win one another over to their candidate of choice.
Jessica Vanden Berg with Maverick Strategies sat down with Erin Kiernan for a primer on what to expect when Iowa Democrats show up to their caucus sites.
▶ Watch the video on WHOtv.com
Small Precinct Caucus in Ottumwa Over in Minutes
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 04:41 PM CST
OTTUMWA, Iowa (WHO) — It didn’t take long for caucus-goers in Ottumwa to choose a candidate on Monday afternoon at the state’s first satellite caucus location.
The satellite caucus kicked off at noon at the UFCW Local 230 union hall. It was open to the public, but a pre-registration was required in order to participate, meaning some were turned away at the door.
“I felt very badly about that. Hopefully, going forward we will have a more sophisticated process set up where we can do the same thing we do in the regular precinct caucuses and register people as walk ins,” said Frank Flanders, the satellite chairperson at UFCW Local 230.
Thirty-one voters pre-registered, and 15 showed up to caucus. Fourteen of them caucused for Senator Bernie Sanders in the first alignment. One person caucused for Senator Elizabeth Warren. Warren’s supporter, who was also an organizer for the campaign, did not want to realign to Sanders.
Sanders was awarded four delegates toward Ottumwa’s congressional district.
The group largely consisted of second shift workers from the local JBS Pork Plant, who would not have been able to caucus otherwise.
“There’s also all kinds of retail workers, service workers, a number of other employers have people on staff at seven o’clock. And so we wanted to make sure that they had somewhere they can go to participate in the caucus,” said Zach Simonson, chairperson for Wapello County Democrats.
According to Flanders, the group was a majority of first-time caucus-goers.
In Iowa, complex caucus now even more intricate
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 04:22 PM CST
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Iowa caucuses, a staple of the early election season in a U.S. presidential election year, are never simple. And they’re going to seem even more intricate this year — especially if you’re on the outside looking in.
Three sets of results will be reported. And there is no guarantee that all three will show the same winner.
On Monday, voters who gather at more than 1,700 caucus sites begin their night by declaring support for their preferred presidential candidate. Only the candidates with the most support survive that round. After feverish lobbying, supporters of eliminated candidates can make a second choice.
This year, there’s a new wrinkle that could make the caucuses even more chaotic. For the first time, the Iowa Democratic Party will report three sets of results — the Democratic National Committee’s attempt, it says, to make the process more transparent in an era of reduced trust.
In the past, the Midwestern state’s Democrats reported only one set of results: the number of state convention delegates won by each candidate in the end. Democrats choose their party’s eventual White House nominee based on national convention delegates, and state delegates are used to determine those totals in Iowa.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s going on and what it means, and what you can expect if you’re watching the process.
Q: WHAT RESULTS WILL DEMOCRATS RELEASE OUT OF THE CAUCUS?
A: There will be three sets of results:
—tallies of the “first alignment” of caucus-goers;
—the caucus-goers’ “final alignment”;
—the total number of something called “state delegate equivalents” that each candidate receives.
The first and final alignment results aren’t new, but this is the first time the party has made them public.
Q: WHAT DO THOSE CATEGORIES MEAN, AND HOW WILL RESULTS BE DETERMINED?
A: Caucuses are different from primary elections. In a primary, voters go to the polls, cast ballots and leave. At a caucus, voters gather at local precincts and declare support for their chosen candidate. Then, some have an opportunity to switch sides.
Here, in four steps, is how it will unfold in Iowa.
1. THE FIRST ALIGNMENT. Voters arriving at their caucus site will fill out a card that lists their first choice, and those results will be tabulated and will determine the results of the “first alignment.”
2. SWITCHING IF NECESSARY. Caucus-goers whose first-choice candidate fails to get at least 15% of the vote can switch their support to a different candidate. The threshold can be higher at some precincts. If these voters don’t choose another candidate, their vote won’t count in the final alignment.
3. THE FINAL ALIGNMENT. The results of this stage will be tabulated to determine the caucuses’ “final alignment.” Only candidates who receive at least 15% of the vote at that precinct — the so-called viable candidates — will be counted in the final alignment. Non-viable candidates get zero votes in the final alignment.
4. CALCULATING DELEGATES. The final alignment votes are then used to calculate the number of state convention delegates — or “state delegate equivalents” — awarded to each candidate. Iowa will award 41 pledged delegates to the Democratic National Convention, based on the results of the party caucuses.
Q: WHO WILL THE AP DECLARE THE WINNER OF THE IOWA CAUCUSES?
A: The AP will declare the winner of the Iowa caucuses based on the number of state delegate equivalents each candidate receives.
That’s because Democrats choose their overall nominee based on delegates. The other results will provide valuable insights into the process and the strength of the various candidates, but the state delegate equivalents have the most direct bearing on the metric Democrats use to pick their nominee. So that’s the number to watch.
However, the AP will report all three results as they emerge.
Q: WHY ARE DEMOCRATS MAKING THIS CHANGE?
A: The new rules were mandated by the Democratic National Committee as part of a package of changes sought by Bernie Sanders following his loss to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential primaries. The changes were designed to make the caucus system more transparent and to make sure that even the lowest-performing candidates get public credit for all the votes they receive.
Sanders finishes 1st in Iowa caucus in Scotland
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 04:16 PM CST
Glasgow, Scotland (AP) — Some of the earliest results of the Iowa caucuses are coming in from thousands of miles away.
In Glasgow, Scotland, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders won the most support in a small, satellite caucus for Iowans living abroad.
Sanders received support from nine of the 19 caucusgoers who attended. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren ended up with six supporters, and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg had three.
The other candidates were not viable. Former Vice President Joe Biden received no votes. The results can hardly be considered meaningful — some 200,000 people are expected to caucus Monday night.
This is first time Iowa Democrats have held caucuses outside Iowa. The remote sites are intended to make the caucuses more inclusive to Iowans living out of state or abroad.
Democrats Make Major Changes This Caucus Cycle That Could Affect Results
Posted: Feb 3, 2020 / 04:01 PM CST
DES MOINES (WHO) — For the Democrats, there is a change this year to the caucus process. There will now be three counts being taken. The results of the first round, the results from realignment which allocates delegates and this year precincts will also be releasing the raw total of votes at the end of the night.
With three different votes being taken into account, many are saying it will be easy for candidates to use the results that best suit them.
Sunday on The Insiders, Jerry Crawford said it will be up to the media to tell the whole story. Michael Morain, Communications Manager in the Department of Iowa affairs, said the media has always played a bigger role in the caucuses than people think.
“The biggest take away from the caucuses are not about the technical math about who wins the exact numbers but it’s really about the media narrative that comes out on the night of the caucuses or the next day,” Morain said.
The general consensus is that the clear winners will come from the realignment round where delegates will be chosen.
For Iowans, this means if their first pick is viable, they won’t be able to realign. If caucus-goers have to realign they will only have 15 minutes to do so.
Democrats are urging caucus-goers to come in knowing their second choice.
