Iowa Democrats approve mail-in caucus plan

(ABC 6 News) – Iowa Democrats on Saturday approved a draft delegation selection plan for the 2024 presidential caucuses that would let Iowans use a mail-in system to express their presidential preference. 

The plan would allow participants to request a card through the mail or online, and then fill out their presidential preference and mail it back.

Following the vote, Iowa Democratic Party Chair, Rita Hart expressed her satisfaction with the committee’s decision for “flexibility surrounding” the selection plan as the presidential nominating calendar is “in flux.”

“Iowa Democrats are united in moving forward with the most inclusive caucus process in our history. No matter what, we will continue to do what’s best for Iowa, what’s best for our Party and what’s best for democracy,” said Hart.

On June 1, Governor Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law which requires political parties to hold in-person caucuses only. Meanwhile, Democrats suggested they would ignore it.

“It is my solid belief that one political party cannot tell another political party what to do or how to conduct its business,” Hart said. “Iowa Democrats will do what’s best for Iowa, plain and simple. For many years, Iowa Democrats have worked in good faith with the Republicans to preserve our caucuses. This legislation ends decades of bipartisanship, and now Kim Reynolds has signed off on this attempt to meddle in Democratic party business.”

Meanwhile, Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann criticized the decision by saying after the vote, “Iowa Democrats care more about appeasing their national party leaders than they do about our First-in-the-Nation Caucus,” he said in a statement. “… This latest charade will do nothing to make them part of the conversation of being first. It will instead jeopardize the future of the Iowa Caucuses.”

The plan will now be submitted to and reviewed by the Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee.