Shiver State: Bundle up for Iowa vote

1 comment January 2nd, 2008

It promises to be cold, real cold, for the Iowa caucus today. Weather.gov predicts a low of 15 to 20 degrees for Thursday night.

Iowans may be thinking about getting some of these to warm up before the big vote. I certainly am. 

Gearing up for secret ballots

Add comment January 2nd, 2008

Democrats in Iowa caucus with their feet. Within a room, they stand in specified places to signify their support for particular candidates. Then they try to coax others to abandon their candidates and join their packs.

You could say Republicans, on the other hand, like a caucus tidy. There’s no shuffle around the room. There’s just a box and a secret ballot for each voter.

The Republicans indicate their choice on their ballots, then deposit them. Judges count the votes and announce the winner (at least two judges generally manage the count, to guard against bias). Then a caucus representative phones GOP headquarters with the name of the winner (again, as with the counting, a witness may monitor this phone call to ensure the representative reports the correct name).

There you have it: Democracy in action, in the style of Iowa Republicans.

Politico.com recently ran a fine backgrounder on the caucus process. There’s more background here, here and here.

Des Moines precincts: Expect light GOP turnout

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Don’t expect too many Republicans to vote, but you never know. At least that’s the word from Republican leaders in the Des Moines precincts — 87th, 88th and 93rd — that I plan to cover on Thursday.

So few Republicans are anticipated, in fact, that all three precincts will caucus in the Wright Elementary School near the Des Moines airport, albeit in different rooms.

“They don’t seem to be that activated here,” Charlyn Smith, GOP caucus leader in the 88th precinct, told me. “I’m sorry to say that most people are Democrats over here in this area.”

Then again, Audrey Hanson, the Republican caucus leader in the 93rd, said she heard from several Republicans who were interested in voting but had not previously been involved. She said the Republican caucus in the precinct has never been particularly well attended.

“It’s a Democratic area of town,” she said.

The caucus leaders are officially temporary until caucus time, at which point caucus goers vote on official chairmen.

Here I am, finally

Add comment January 2nd, 2008

OK, so I’m a couple years late to the blogosphere. Hey, as the saying goes, better late than never.

And in true Chambers fashion (just ask those who know me), I couldn’t possibly launch this blog on a note of moderation. Instead, I will begin deep in the heart of the most hotly contested presidential election of the modern era.

On Thursday, I will cover the Iowa caucus, together with my Register Star colleague Chuck Sweeny. We’ll both be at a precinct in Des Moines; I’m covering Republicans, while Chuck has the Dems.

We will blog. And blog. And blog.

Hopefully, along the way, we’ll all learn something and have some fun too.

Wish us luck with this journey - and happy blogging for many more to come.