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http://www.politico.com/story/2014/08/2016-election-iowa-caucuses-109656.html?hp=l3

Iowa Dems tweak 2016 caucus rules


These proposals grew out of more than 150 conversations with state activists. | Getty

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Iowa Democrats, eager for Hillary Clinton to compete in their state and thus maintain the credibility of their caucuses, unveiled five proposals Friday to increase turnout in 2016. But they did not go nearly as far as some thought they would.

After her humiliating third place finish in Iowa in 2008, Clinton noted in her concession speech that “there were a lot of people who couldn’t caucus tonight.” She mentioned troops serving overseas, hospital workers, waitresses and cops on patrol.

As she moves toward a likely 2016 presidential campaign, one of the biggest decisions that Clinton must make is how hard to compete in the caucuses that kick off the nominating process. They tend to draw a more ideological, motivated set of base voters. A higher turnout would favor the better-known, better-funded former secretary of State, senator and first lady.

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But Iowa Democrats Friday explicitly ruled out allowing absentee ballots, proxies, letting people Skype into caucuses and having multiple caucuses through the day.

“Iowans did not want us to take any steps that would change what our caucuses are at their core,” said Democratic state party chairman Scott Brennan.

Instead, the party is calling on the state legislature to pass a law requiring employers to let non-essential workers take time off to attend their precinct caucus. This would require the uncertain bipartisan backing of Republicans.

A full-time employee at the Iowa Democratic Party will also be hired to focus on making the 1,700 precinct-level gatherings more accessible, whether for the handicapped or by arranging for better child care.

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There will be a study on the feasibility of creating “satellite caucus sites,” so that if there are a larger number of factory workers who want to participate they can petition to have their own caucus at work.

Democratic officials will also meet with the Department of Defense about the feasibility of a tele-caucus so that Iowans stationed overseas can participate.

These proposals, unveiled Friday during a Democratic National Committee meeting, grew out of more than 150 conversations with Hawkeye State activists over the past four months.

“These steps will not ensure that everyone can participate, but it does move us closer towards the goal of expanding participation,” Brennan said in a speech to the DNC rules committee. “The Iowa caucuses have never held themselves out to be a primary… The Iowa caucuses are democracy in its purest form.”

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Democrats in the state are trying to strike a balance between preserving the quaintness of the caucuses — where people literally form into groups in different corners to signify who they support — and making sure that all the 2016 candidates spend time and money campaigning there.

Republicans are also working to restore the credibility of the caucuses after Mike Huckabee won in 2008 and Rick Santorum won in 2012. Mitt Romney campaigned hard in Iowa in 2008 and lost – so he was much more cautious about going all-in on his second try.

Citing a desire to level the playing field for the caucuses, Republican Gov. Terry Branstad took control of the state GOP at a June convention from libertarian-leaning forces.
Newly-installed GOP state chair Jeff Kaufmann said he will meet with his Democratic counterpart soon to discuss the proposals.

“We agreed that there will be strong, bipartisan cooperation to do anything it takes to protect Iowa’s first in the nation caucuses,” Kaufmann said in a statement.

In 2008, a record 240,000 Iowans showed up to Democratic caucus, giving Obama crucial momentum that helped him capture the nomination and the presidency.

As Clinton finished behind John Edwards in 2008, she told supporters: “You know, there were a lot of people who couldn’t caucus tonight despite the very large turnout. There are a lot of Iowans who are in the military. They were in Iraq or Afghanistan or somewhere else serving our country … And there are a lot of people who work at night: people who are on their feet, people who are taking care of patients in a hospital or waiting on a table in a restaurant or maybe in a patrol car keeping our streets safe. They need a president who is going to care about them and their families.”

Most notable about the announcement Friday is what Democratic officials ruled out. Brennan explained the party’s thinking in his speech to the DNC:

Absentee ballots: “While this would be an easy way to record someone’s preference on caucus night, we discovered some significant flaws,” said Brennan. “One, the logistical challenges of using these ballots would be difficult in the room on caucus night. Two, these ballots take someone away from participating in the room, and erodes the sense of community that makes our caucuses so special.”

A Skype or Facetime-type system: “One, we could not ensure adequate security for caucus goers. Was the person on the screen truly who they said they were? Two, while Iowa has made tremendous strides, the lack of strong broadband access in rural Iowa simply prohibits us from exploring such a system.”

Proxies: “We were very intrigued by the ideas of proxies, and spent considerable time exploring this idea, but, as we discussed it further, we quickly saw flaws in this idea. One, proxies create super caucus goers. One person’s vote would be worth more than another person’s vote … We determined that challenges would exist around proving that the proxy a person carried was gathered legitimately. We also feared that some folks may choose to give their proxy to one person, but then participate in the Republican caucuses.”

Multiple caucuses throughout the day: “We liked the idea of giving folks a few different options to participate, but again, we could not ensure that people did not choose to participate in our caucus, but then try to participate in the Republican caucuses later in the day.”