1. What was the Iowa Democratic Party's plan for changes to this year's Iowa Caucus?
They wanted to use a phone system for tele-caucusing, as well as still having the physical caucus.
2. Why has the Democratic National Committee decided to recommend rejecting these plans?
They believe that the virtual caucus can be hacked. Politicians and committee members alike were averse to this idea and rejected it due to the lack of security that the DNC could guarantee.
3. Why had the Iowa Democratic Party recommended these changes?
The Iowa Democratic Party had received complaints in the past that voters who were not able to attend the caucus were disadvantaged. The DNC wanted them to make it more accessible (without specifying how).
4. Why is it so important that Iowa is the first contest? How do they influence the nomination process?
The first caucuses reveal the stronger candidates, and weaker candidates are set on the backburner. Usually, candidates are eliminated from possibly being president at the first caucuses.
5. Why are caucuses controversial as a nomination process?
Caucuses are a lot more complicated and discriminatory than primaries. People who cannot attend (eldery, parents, disabled) do not have their voices heard, and caucuses are very time consuming.
6. What is the problem with more people participating in the caucus process in recent elections?
Caucuses were originally framed for living rooms of 50-100 people. Now, 1000s are attending, which makes a caucus unwieldy. It is hard to allow everyone to participate, since people in the hundreds will attend.
7. Why are many arguing that this new form of caucus could be manipulated?
The virtual caucus would have to rely on identity verification over the phone and over-the-phone voting. Also, 10% of extra delegates are awarded for each congressional district, so this system could be manipulated. The DNC security firm already hacked into the virtual caucus, but Iowa claims the tele-caucus was built on a different system.
8. What would be the problem with Iowa changing to a primary?
Since Iowa has been the first caucus for so long, Iowa does not want to move to a primary, which would require them to come after New Hampshire (since NH has a state law mandating that they be able to have the first primary).
9. How does New Hampshire ensure that it is the first primary?
The law says that any state setting their primary date before New Hampshire's would in effect allow for New Hampshire to move their date to the week right before that, meaning that they can just hop before any other primary.
They wanted to use a phone system for tele-caucusing, as well as still having the physical caucus.
They believe that the virtual caucus can be hacked. Politicians and committee members alike were averse to this idea and rejected it due to the lack of security that the DNC could guarantee.
3. Why had the Iowa Democratic Party recommended these changes?
The Iowa Democratic Party had received complaints in the past that voters who were not able to attend the caucus were disadvantaged. The DNC wanted them to make it more accessible (without specifying how).
4. Why is it so important that Iowa is the first contest? How do they influence the nomination process?
The first caucuses reveal the stronger candidates, and weaker candidates are set on the backburner. Usually, candidates are eliminated from possibly being president at the first caucuses.
5. Why are caucuses controversial as a nomination process?
Caucuses are a lot more complicated and discriminatory than primaries. People who cannot attend (eldery, parents, disabled) do not have their voices heard, and caucuses are very time consuming.
Caucuses were originally framed for living rooms of 50-100 people. Now, 1000s are attending, which makes a caucus unwieldy. It is hard to allow everyone to participate, since people in the hundreds will attend.
The virtual caucus would have to rely on identity verification over the phone and over-the-phone voting. Also, 10% of extra delegates are awarded for each congressional district, so this system could be manipulated. The DNC security firm already hacked into the virtual caucus, but Iowa claims the tele-caucus was built on a different system.
8. What would be the problem with Iowa changing to a primary?
Since Iowa has been the first caucus for so long, Iowa does not want to move to a primary, which would require them to come after New Hampshire (since NH has a state law mandating that they be able to have the first primary).
The law says that any state setting their primary date before New Hampshire's would in effect allow for New Hampshire to move their date to the week right before that, meaning that they can just hop before any other primary.
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