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Democrats urge vote check on Iowa caucus results

February 6, 2020

"Enough is enough," tweeted DNC chief Tom Perez, demanding the Iowa Democrats to review the caucus results following a series of blunders. The latest, incomplete count showed Buttigieg and Sanders in a dead heat.

https://p.dw.com/p/3XNOp
Supporters of Pete Buttigieg in Iowa
Image: picture-alliance/Zuma Press/Sopa Images/M. Hatcher

With Iowa Democrats still struggling to deliver definitive results from this week's caucuses, the head of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Tom Perez called for an immediate "recanvass" on Friday.

"Enough is enough," he wrote on Twitter, adding that the review would help "assure public confidence in the results."

According to Perez, the move would not mean a full repetition of caucusing in the state's idiosyncratic nominee selection system. Instead, the local Democrats would be required to review the worksheets from all 1,600 caucus sites in order to determine the number of delegates for candidates in the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nominee.

Perez made the comments after a series of blunders and technical issues prevented the local democrats from announcing the outcome of the state-wide race.

Biden falls short in Iowa

The latest incomplete results, based on 97% of precincts reporting, show moderate Pete Buttigieg and left-winger Bernie Sanders in a virtual tie. They have both won at least 11 national delegates, enough to have the most delegates at the party's national congress, according to the Associated Press.

They are followed by Senator Elizabeth Warren. Former Vice President Joe Biden, considered the establishment favorite, unexpectedly placed fourth, followed by another moderate, Amy Klobuchar.

Bernie Sanders in Milford
At 78, Sanders is five years older than President Donald TrumpImage: picture-alliance/AP/M. Altaffer

However, The New York Times newspaper previously reported that over 100 precincts delivered results that were internally inconsistent or showed missing data.

The local Democratic Party leadership did not immediately react to Perez' request. Earlier on Thursday, state party chairman Troy Price said the party had been working hard to ensure the results' accuracy but also said the delay was "unacceptable."

Iowa is the first battleground for Democrats who hope to face President Donald Trump in November. The race will continue in New Hampshire on Tuesday and eventually go through all 50 US states and several territories to determine the Democratic presidential candidate.

Waiting for Bloomberg

The Iowa results also showed Sanders winning more votes than Buttigieg, although Buttigieg might win more delegates due to the intricacies of the caucus system.

The 78-year-old Sanders and the 38-year-old Buttigieg represent conflicting views within the Democrat Party, with the older politician a self-described Democratic Socialist and Buttigieg, an openly gay military veteran, presenting a more center-of-the-road image.

dj/sms (dpa, Reuters, AFP, AP)

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