By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)
The Iowa Democratic Party’s 2024 Caucuses will be on the same day Iowa Republicans plan to hold their Caucuses.
The Democratic Party’s state central committee voted this weekend to hold their in-person caucuses on January 15th, but there’s no decision yet on when the results of the party’s mail-in presidential preference balloting will be announced. Gregory Christensen, vice chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, is leading the party’s caucus planning.
“We are working to make sure that we have all the locations for the in-person element to our Caucuses ready to go by the time the new year rolls around,” he said during this weekend’s meeting, “and, of course, the earlier we can do that, the better.”
Both major parties have to find precinct-level sites to hold gatherings where party business will be discussed. However, Republicans will also take a straw poll that night to determine which G-O-P presidential candidates have the most support in Iowa. National Democrats have decided South Carolina’s Primary rather than the Iowa Caucuses should be the first event in their party’s 2024 presidential nominating processs. Christensen said Iowa Democrats’ 2024 Caucuses will focus on party building.
“We have to have very successful Caucuses that elect our precinct committee persons who become the backbone and the workforce for the Democratic Party in Iowa,” Christensen said.
Iowa Democrats announced last year they did not intend to conduct caucus night attendance counts to determine which presidential candidate wins their 2024 caucuses and will use a mail-in system instead, but party officials haven’t revealed how or when results will be tabulated and released.
“While Republicans continue to add barriers to the ballot box, the reimagined Iowa caucuses will be the most inclusive process in history,” Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart said in a written statement. “…No matter what, Iowa Democrats will always do what’s good for Iowa, what’s good for our democracy and live up to Dr. King’s legacy.”
Monday, January 15, 2024 is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday.
In July, the Iowa GOP’s state central committee voted to hold their party’s Caucuses on January 15.
