Iowa Democrats approve in-person caucus date

The Democrats’ in-person caucuses will take place on Jan. 15, 2024, but mail-in dates for presidential preference cards remain undecided.

Liam Halawith, Senior News and Politics Editor

September 16, 2023

Jerod Ringwald

The Iowa State Capitol is seen during the first day of the 90th Iowa legislative session at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023.

The Iowa Democratic party voted on Saturday morning to hold the in-person portion of the Iowa Caucuses on Jan. 15, 2024 — the same day as their GOP counterparts — while the timeline for the mail-in presidential preference cards remains unresolved.

Iowa Democrats are scrambling to comply with the new rules, timeline, and stipulations passed down by the national Democrats after they lost their coveted first-in-the-nation status last February due to concerns from President Joe Biden about Iowa’s lack of diversity.

In response to concerns from party leaders, Iowa Democrats formed a new plan to comply with its concerns about the accessibility of the traditional caucus format. This new plan would hold in-person caucuses to assign delegates to the county conventions, as state law requires. It would also create a mail-in system for presidential preference ballots, allowing Iowa Democrats to vote from home within a 14-day window.

“Iowa Democrats will honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by renewing our commitment to protecting our freedoms so that we may ensure future generations continue to have a voice,” Party Chair Rita Hart said in a statement on Saturday morning.

About the Contributors

Liam Halawith, Politics Editor

he/him/his

Liam Halawith is a third-year student at the University of Iowa studying Journalism and Mass Communication and minoring in Public Policy. Before his role as Politics Editor Liam was a politics reporter for the DI. Outside of the DI Liam has interned at the Cedar Rapids Gazette and the Southeast Iowa Union. This is his second year working for the DI.

Jerod Ringwald, Creative Director

(he/him/his)

Jerod Ringwald is the Creative Director at The Daily Iowan. He is a senior at the University of Iowa majoring in journalism and cinema. He was previously a managing editor this past summer as well as a former photo editor. During his sophomore year, he worked as a photojournalist covering news and sports.