Iowa Democrats no longer guaranteed ‘First in Nation’ status

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - On Wednesday, a panel of Democratic National Committee (DNC) members voted to strip Iowa of its first-in-the-nation status.

The DNC voted to adopt a plan that will no longer guarantee Iowa at the front of the presidential nominating calendar, now forcing Iowa Democrats to have to make the case as to why they should be reinstated to the first position.

The plan removes Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina from an early voting window and requires all states to apply for a new waiver if they want that early window status. The proposal would look toward states that can promote “diversity and a fair process.”

Committee members have been critical of Iowa’s caucus system before the vote. Iowa’s Democratic caucuses drew criticism in 2020 when the party could not declare a winner amid deep concerns about the accuracy of its results. There have been concerns in past years about fairness and transparency because the caucuses use a system of awarding state delegate equivalents to determine a winner rather than using a simple tally of votes.

The Iowa Democratic Party will now have till May 6th to submit a letter of intent to apply to the early voting window.

They would have till June 3rd to submit a completed application.

Copyright 2022 KCRG. All rights reserved.