IA Democrats Allow Satellite Caucuses

Iowa Democrats will Allow some Voters to Organize their own Presidential Caucuses in 2020, part of a Plan to make the State’s First-in-the-Nation Nominating Contest more Accessible for People who Cannot attend one of the Party’s 1,678 Designated Caucus Sites.

The State Democrat Party’s Plan, which the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) Rules Committee Sanctioned on Friday, is designed to assuage concerns that Iowa’s Caucuses are Exclusionary and Depress Turnout because they require In-Person Participation at a Midwinter Evening Event.

The Plan will allow Iowans to apply to hold their Own Ad-Hoc Caucuses Feb. 3rd, 2020, wherever there are Groups of Democrats who wish to Participate.

These Satellite Caucuses could take place at Locations like: Factories, Restaurants, Group Homes, Overseas, or Out-of-State Military Installations, where Iowans are posted, Party Officials said.

The onus will be on People who Cannot attend the Regular Caucuses to Apply to hold their own gatherings. A State Party Panel would then Approve or Reject the Satellite Caucus Locations. Satellite Caucus Results would be Reported through an App, Officials said.

The Satellite Caucuses must take place at the Same Time as Iowa’s Regularly Scheduled Caucuses, which are set to begin at 7 p.m. Central time.

That could Require some Groups of Overseas Caucus-Goers to hold Middle-of-the-Night Gatherings and could still hinder Participation by Shift Workers and Restaurant Employees who Work in the Evenings.

“Voting by mail for all those who sign affidavits saying they are working that night or physically unable to caucus would be a much simpler and more equitable solution,” said Larry Cohen, a DNC Member from Maryland who played a Leading Role in Developing the Party’s Rules and Guidelines for the 2020 Primary Process.

In 2016 the Party allowed Four satellite caucus Locations after Permitting Groups who “demonstrated a clear need” to Petition to Hold their Own Caucuses.

The New Plan for 2020 will be “moved into full compliance after further review by DNC staff,” the Committee said Friday.

Democratic Officials in Iowa and Washington said they did Not have an Initial Estimate of how many People would Participate in the Satellite Caucuses, and by Friday Morning the Presidential Campaigns had Not been Briefed on the Specifics of how they would Operate.









NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker