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Iowa early News Headlines: Tue., Feb. 4, 2020

News

February 4th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democratic party officials in Iowa are working furiously to deliver the delayed results of their first-in-the-nation caucus, as frustrated presidential candidates claim momentum and plow ahead in their quest for the White House. Technology problems and reporting “inconsistencies” kept Iowa Democratic Party officials from releasing results from Monday’s caucus, the much-hyped kickoff to the 2020 primary. It was an embarrassing twist after months of promoting the contest as a chance for Democrats to find some clarity in a jumbled field with no clear front-runner. Instead, caucus day ended with no winner, no official results and many fresh questions about whether Iowa can retain its coveted “first” status.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Democratic Party says it expects to release data from the Iowa caucuses later today (Tuesday). Chairman Troy Price says the party is manually verifying its data against paper backups but says systems are taking “longer than expected.” He said the delays were the result of a reporting issue, not a hack or intrusion. Price addressed reporters shortly after the party updated presidential campaigns about the status of the delayed results in the kickoff caucuses. He did not take any questions in the call with reporters. The Associated Press has not called a winner of Monday’s caucuses.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Turnout for the Iowa caucuses is on pace to match 2016 levels based on early data. That’s according to a state party official on Monday night. At some caucus sites there have been long lines and delays, with the caucus starting about an hour late at a downtown Iowa City precinct. The Democratic county party chairman in Polk County, Iowa’s largest county, says the party printed tens of thousands of extra voter registration forms but some sites are running out. About 170,000 people participated in 2016. The high-water mark for the contest was 2008, when nearly 240,000 participated.