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The Iowa Caucus Procedure

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  December 28th, 2011 at 07:08 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Ever wanted to know what the Iowa caucuses are like? The IA-GOP sent out this statement to give you an idea:

· All caucus participants arrive at their precincts where they will sign in at the door upon arrival. Caucuses will begin at 7:00PM CT.

The caucus meetings begin with the pledge of allegiance. A caucus chair and secretary will be elected by the body to run the meeting and take notes.

After the chair and secretary are elected, candidate representatives from each campaign are given time to speak on behalf of their candidate.

Once the speakers have finished, sheets of paper are be passed out to every registered Iowa Republican from the precinct. Voters then write down their candidate preference.

All votes are then collected.

Every vote is counted. The caucus chair and secretary will count the votes in front of the caucus and a representative from each campaign is allowed to observe the counting of the votes. The results are recorded on an official form provided by the Republican Party of Iowa and are announced to the caucus.

A caucus reporter is chosen to report the results to the Republican Party of Iowa, accompanied by campaign representatives to verify the results reported to Iowa GOP officials.

RPI officials do not count results; they aggregate them from around the state and report them to the media. To ensure consistency in reporting, campaign representatives have the opportunity to be present with RPI officials as votes are reported to the public.

We will be reporting the votes for Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Buddy Roemer, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, “No Preference,” and “Other.”

“No Preference” votes include those who vote “present,” “no preference, “uncommitted,” or “none of the above.”

Within fourteen days of the caucus, certified results will be released for a complete breakdown of all caucus votes that were cast by precinct.

After the Presidential preference poll is completed the caucus will elect precinct committee representatives; delegates, alternates, and junior delegates to the county convention; and discuss and submit platform resolutions for consideration at the county convention.

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  • Finrod

    It sounds like they’ve shortened the procedure from what I understood it to be previously. The way I understood it to be before was that everyone picked a candidate, and those who chose candidates that didn’t get at least a certain percentage of those present locally had to choose another candidate, with time built in for discussion amongst everyone to try to persuade people to their preference, then everyone chose again and those results were the ones that got reported officially.

    The procedure described here doesn’t sound like much more than a fancier version of a primary.

  • snowshooze

    Sound like enough information would be readily availabe for a practically instant breakdown.

  • http://teapartisan.wordpress.com Loren Heal

    If there is no one there representing the campaign, you’re going to get either silence or some neighbor of unknown acumen.

  • freemanja1991

    cuz the picking of a different is only and has only been in dem caucuses.

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    …and will report-back what we observe in Des Moines.

    BTW, we are staying @ the Chase Suite Hotel (3/10ths of a mile away from the Sheraton) from 1/1/2012-1/4/2012 and want to organize a get-together of like-minded individuals Sunday and/or Monday-p.m.

    We are open to suggestions regarding logistics; I?m @ r.sklaroff@verizon.net and available @ 215=459-4877.

    We understand there are 1700 voting-precincts, and therefore anticipate each will attract upwards of 100 people; we will try to arrive ahead-of-time to “take the pulse” of their priorities.

    If anyone has any suggestions as to what we should convey to the Perry-people, please so-inform!

    *

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/Des+Moines+IA+USIA0231

    Day

    Partly Cloudy High
    36?F

    Precip
    10%

    Wind: From SSE at 9 mph
    Humidity: 67%
    UV Index: 2 Low
    Sunrise: 7:42 AM CT
    Avg. High: 31?F
    Record High: 60?F (1880)

    *

    Night

    Mostly Clear Overnight Low
    26?F

    Precip
    0%

    Wind: From SW at 8 mph
    Humidity: 59%

    Sunset: 4:56 PM CT
    Avg. Low: 15?F
    Record Low: -21?F (1879)

    *

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    …whether Indies/D’s can drop-in and vote.

  • Samsara

    I don’t know if this is of any improtance or not:

    Poitico

    In a shock announcement Wednesday night, Iowa state senator and onetime Michele Bachmann campaign leader Kent Sorenson declared that he is now supporting Ron Paul for president.

    Sorenson made the announcement at a Paul rally with veterans here in Des Moines, telling the crowd: “I believe we’re at a turning point in this campaign.”
    Calling the decision to abandon Bachmann a painful one, Sorenson said he felt obligated to join Paul as the “Republican establishment” tries to undermine his campaign.

    “I thought it was my duty to come to his aid, just like he came to my aid during my Senate race, which was a very nasty race,” Sorenson said, pledging to go all-out for Paul over the next few days.

    To cheers from the crowd, he continued: “We’re going to take Ron Paul all the way to the White House.”

    http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2011/12/fmr-bachmann-chair-decided-to-switch-to-paul-tonight-108969.html

  • http://www.changeforrickperry.org louisianapatriette

    Looks good to me! Talked to Walt Gilbert of the DDR blog over Twitter today and he told me 36 was balmy for Iowans in December. Yes, I think the voting booths will be busy next Tuesday, and not just with Paulbots.

  • http://boldcolor.blogspot.com/ Paula

    What’s he doing on their list?

    As much fun as this all sounds, it’s really a bad deal if you work nights or can’t get a babysitter for the evening or…a million other reasons you can’t commit your entire evening to a caucus meeting. There are a lot of people who are disfranchised in this process and will have no say in choosing a presidential nominee.

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    …accompanied by her smirks.

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    [at least Johnson was dropped]

  • acat

    either that, or he’s padding his retirement account…

    Mew

  • nativetexan41

    I appreciate you going to help Gov. Perry . That goes for the others going to help.
    I am a strong Perry supporter!!

  • dfaith

    but that’s how I thought it worked too. I probably picked it up from a media discussion of the democrat Iowa caucus in some previous election. I’m glad to have learned something new today.

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    just caught him on “Greta”…hit all the key-points

    no one else talks of military/patriotism with such depth

    no one conveys the populist desire to detonate D.C. with such conviction

    no one integrates values with such certitude and authenticity

  • tngal

    Via Des Moines register…

    ________

    ?Kent Sorenson personally told me he was offered a large sum of money to go to work for the Paul campaign. Kent campaigned with us earlier this afternoon and went immediately afterward to a Ron Paul event and announced he is changing teams. Kent said to me yesterday that ?everyone sells out in Iowa, why shouldn?t I,? then he told me he would stay with our campaign. The Ron Paul campaign has to answer for its actions.
    _________________

    Ok, so here’s my conspiracy theory for the hour. Paulies are infiltrating campaigns early. Getting footholds. Passing on info, perhaps passing on oppo. Then bam! They head for the crystal city promised to one and all by RPaul. Well, maybe its not that bad, but if what Bachmann is putting out here is true, Sorenson does not deserve a job in any campaign. No scruples. Defections happen frequently, but IF BACHMANN’s story is accurate, this way is a bad way for it to happen. If he really wanted to go to Alvin Greene’s (sorry,) Ron Paul’s campaign he should have quietly quit now and went to Paul in a one of the next few states.

    http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2011/12/28/michele-bachmann-responds-to-kent-sorenson-defection-to-ron-paul-campaign/

  • Samsara

    Heav’n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn’d,
    Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn’d.

  • http://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com nathanalbright

    ….that’s a brutal accusation, and if true makes Ron Paul and the other fellow look really corrupt.

  • http://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com nathanalbright

    …and I’m definitely a Republican with a notable populist streak…

  • elayman

    ?The fact is, government doesn?t create jobs, otherwise the last two-and-a-half years of stimulus would have worked.?

    So the candidate governor is loud and cocky against Washington in 2012 ? Maybe feeling darn lucky he was able to have the stimulus effect during his tenure to create hundreds of thousands of government jobs in Texas, which just happened to grow at more than double the rate of private-sector employment. What a difference two years can make to a capital-H Hypocrite..