Iowa caucuses discourage participation by many voters

[CGowen]

By Jodi Kantor
Published: January 1, 2008

DES MOINES, Iowa: Jason Huffman has lived in Iowa his whole life. Lately he has been watching presidential debates on the Internet and discussing what he sees with friends and relatives. But when fellow Iowans choose their presidential nominees Thursday night, he will not be able to vote, because he is serving with the Iowa National Guard in western Afghanistan.

"Shouldn't we at least have as much influence in this as any other citizen?" Huffman wrote in an e-mail message.

He is far from the only Iowan who will be unable to participate.

Because the caucuses, held in the early evening, do not allow absentee voting, they tend to leave out nearly entire categories of voters: the infirm, soldiers on active duty, restaurant employees on the dinner shift, medical personnel who cannot leave their patients, parents who do not have babysitting and many others who work in retail, at gasoline stations and in other jobs that require evening duty.

As in years past, voters must present themselves in person, at a specific hour, and stay for as long as two. And if this caucus is anything like prior ones, only a tiny percentage of Iowans will participate. In 2000, the last year in which both parties held caucuses, 59,000 Democrats and 87,000 Republicans voted, in a state with 2.9 million people. In 2004, 124,000 people turned out for the Democratic caucuses.

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http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/01/america/vote.php

[rodeodance]

1. yes, indeed. This type of voting is Exclusionary.

[DU9598]

2. We are picking a nominee, not ordering a latte

God forbid it should take some time and effort for people in the state.

While it is unfair that out of state Iowa Democratic party members cannot vote absentee (especially men and women serving in the military), that unfairness could be easily fixed by a party rule. It is not a reason to dismantle a long held, party building effort.

For those who say it is too inconvenient to spend and hour and a half organizing the party and choosing our next president ... perhaps it is best you just stay home.