Iowa caucuses: Rule change could leave uncommitted caucusgoers stuck in viable group – By Caleb McCullough (The Daily Iowan) / Jan 27 2020
The Democratic caucuses serve as a place for Iowans to have an open discussion with their neighbors and fellow Democrats to try and convince them to support a given candidate. This long-standing tradition could have an unexpected wrinkle this year, Democratic campaigners say, because of a rule change that could leave undecided caucusgoers stuck in a viable group.
Democratic operatives are encouraging Iowa caucusgoers to declare support for a candidate in the beginning of the caucus-night process — even if they may not intend to see that candidate through to the end — to prevent the uncommitted group from securing viability.
At a Democratic caucus, Iowans begin by breaking up into groups based on their candidate preference. Due to a new rule change outlined in the Iowa Democratic Party’s 74-page Delegate Selection Plan, if a group gains viability — reaches 15 percent of attendees’ support and earns a delegate for the county convention — those caucusgoers are locked in and unable to switch to another group.
Speaking to a small group of campaign volunteers on Jan. 12, U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., a co-chair of the Elizabeth Warren campaign and former faculty member at the University of Iowa College of Law, said she met with a number of long-time caucusgoers who were unaware of the new changes.
“Most of them were very surprised to learn about the new rule about being undecided, and if you’re a viable group of undecided, then there you stay,” Porter said. “So, I think the message really is, both to you as organizers and volunteers … the time is now for people to be making up their minds.”
In an October interview with The Daily Iowan, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price said the change was made to eliminate confusion, cut down on time, and prevent caucusgoers in viable groups from switching to a nonviable group in order to take a delegate away from an opponent.
Continue to article: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2020/01/27/iowa-caucuses-how-rules-change-can-affect-uncommitted-caucusgoers/4592175002/
