Iowa Caucuses procedural question..

[daidalos]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa_caucuses

The Republican party has changed the way it's doing things this year. Because of some sort of problems in the past.

I think I see how the process works. On the Republican side. (yeah each party does it their own way, really confusing to some I'm sure) But I've a question and it's this.

I don't see that there really is anyway to verify that the info these "captains" send to the State party Hq, is really what these "captains" are reporting.

For example. In Some states, like California for example, the electoral college can ignore the populist vote (that's the vote we go to the booth and cast) and cast the states electoral votes for whomever the "faithless elector" wants to cast the states votes for instead.

Can these "captains" the RNC relies upon to caucus in Iowa, simply vote the way they want too regardless of the way the rest of the folks there are actually "caucusing"?

[Cali Contrarian]

"Some problems in the past?" You mean, like Ron Paul hijacking the process and bribing delegates? Might as well spell it out.

Presumably someone is watching over the shoulder of the precinct captains as they submit vote totals. I couldn't tell you exactly how foolproof the process will turn out to be, but couldn't the same be said of any election official? At some point, you're just trusting people to do the right thing, and also trying to make it so a few bad apples can affect the outcome as little as possible.

In regard to the statewide caucus where the official delegate votes are tallied, the article explains that 1) the vote tallies are now to be official and public, and 2) the delegates are bound to candidates in proportion to the vote they receive. That should fix the problems, to at least to bring them up to par with most of the other "cleaner" states. Probably the RNC threatened their special status if they didn't reform. I wish they would do that with more states.

[Dori]

Why does Iowa do this caucus when their actual Primary is in June?

[Cali Contrarian]

Why does Iowa do this caucus when their actual Primary is in June?

What goes on in June May isn't a primary either. It's a statewide caucus.

It goes:  Precinct Level Caucuses --> County Level Caucuses --> Congressional District Caucuses (for district delegates) and State Caucus (for statewide delegates). Here's a link that might help:

http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P16/IA-R#0201

Frankly, the reason the process is so convoluted is to increase the leverage of state party officials, at the expense of rank and file constituents. It's a corrupt system, as Ron Paul's exploitation of it made clear.

Edit: Based on the link I provided, it appears they have switched the statewide caucus from June to May.

[Solar]

"Some problems in the past?" You mean, like Ron Paul hijacking the process and bribing delegates? Might as well spell it out.

Presumably someone is watching over the shoulder of the precinct captains as they submit vote totals. I couldn't tell you exactly how foolproof the process will turn out to be, but couldn't the same be said of any election official? At some point, you're just trusting people to do the right thing, and also trying to make it so a few bad apples can affect the outcome as little as possible.

In regard to the statewide caucus where the official delegate votes are tallied, the article explains that 1) the vote tallies are now to be official and public, and 2) the delegates are bound to candidates in proportion to the vote they receive. That should fix the problems, to at least to bring them up to par with most of the other "cleaner" states. Probably the RNC threatened their special status if they didn't reform. I wish they would do that with more states.

Because Iowa wrote it into the law of their state.

[kit saginaw]

Because Iowa wrote it into the law of their state.

Yep.  With the sheer luck of it happening before the dawn of 24-hour cable-news and the internet.  That State's politics are an overblown piece of crap. 

[supsalemgr]

Why does Iowa do this caucus when their actual Primary is in June?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Solar]

Yep.  With the sheer luck of it happening before the dawn of 24-hour cable-news and the internet.  That State's politics are an overblown piece of crap.

Yep. They knew they were one of the most irrelevant states in the nation where political influence was concerned, so the dwarf simply cut to the head of the line and no one noticed till it was too late.
All the other states went, "why didn't we think of that?"

I'm just glad Ca is near last. We aren't assaulted with 24/7 campaign ads.

[daidalos]

"Some problems in the past?" You mean, like Ron Paul hijacking the process and bribing delegates? Might as well spell it out.

Presumably someone is watching over the shoulder of the precinct captains as they submit vote totals. I couldn't tell you exactly how foolproof the process will turn out to be, but couldn't the same be said of any election official? At some point, you're just trusting people to do the right thing, and also trying to make it so a few bad apples can affect the outcome as little as possible.

In regard to the statewide caucus where the official delegate votes are tallied, the article explains that 1) the vote tallies are now to be official and public, and 2) the delegates are bound to candidates in proportion to the vote they receive. That should fix the problems, to at least to bring them up to par with most of the other "cleaner" states. Probably the RNC threatened their special status if they didn't reform. I wish they would do that with more states.

Cali no it doesn't, not really. The weak spot is the "captains" in each place.

If they report they have twenty people for Trump, and well there were really only five, and fifteen there for Cruz...see the problem?

There's no way, because there is no paper trail, that I"m aware of. To verify that there were twenty votes for Trump there.

[Dori]

Cali no it doesn't, not really. The weak spot is the "captains" in each place.

If they report they have twenty people for Trump, and well there were really only five, and fifteen there for Cruz...see the problem?

There's no way, because there is no paper trail, that I"m aware of. To verify that there were twenty votes for Trump there.

I thought I heard that this year they(Republicans) were voting by some kind of ap, with a paper back up to verify the accuracy of the ap.  ?????  The Dems do it different, and there is no way to back up their votes.

[daidalos]

Yeah I'd say the Dimwits are a bit different.

They decide with a coin flip apparently.

That said, I was unaware they have an actual primary election in June in Iowa though.

I"m going to have to go and learn a lot more about Iowa.

It seems Iowa is not your typical state in lots of things. 

[Cali Contrarian]

Yeah I'd say the Dimwits are a bit different.

They decide with a coin flip apparently.

That said, I was unaware they have an actual primary election in June in Iowa though.

I"m going to have to go and learn a lot more about Iowa.

It seems Iowa is not your typical state in lots of things. 

The primary in Iowa has nothing to do with the presidential nomination, and it isn't unique to Iowa. Every caucus state works that way. The caucuses are for the nomination for the office of president. The primaries are for down ticket offices, most notably US congress.

[daidalos]

The primary in Iowa has nothing to do with the presidential nomination, and it isn't unique to Iowa. Every caucus state works that way. The caucuses are for the nomination for the office of president. The primaries are for down ticket offices, most notably US congress.

Oh I see. Here in Oh, when we hold our primary, it's the Party primary too. We don't caucus here. We want to get in to that booth, cast our votes, get out of there and go home! Not stand round and "discuss it" and "flip coins for it" all damn night!