Iowa Democrats have agreed to move their primary process from early in-person caucusing to vote-by-mail, Fox News reported. The Democratic National Committee has been pressing for the move since it voted in February to change the order of primaries.
Iowa previously enjoyed status as an early primary state in presidential elections and would set the tone for the rest of the race. With this move, its results will be lumped in with the rest of the March 5 Super Tuesday results.
On Friday, the DNC approved the plan that would serve as a mail-in caucus. Voters are allowed to send their presidential preference card anytime between January and March in the prolonged process.
This is the first time since 1972 that the process would be done through the card system. Voters can obtain a card beginning November 1 by registering.
Cards will be mailed starting on January 12 but must be sent in by March 5 to be counted for the presidential primary. Scott Brennan, who represents the Iowa Democrats, made it clear this change is only in place for the presidential primary.
"We intend to be first in 2028. So we're here to support the president in 2024, and by releasing the results on March 5, that's what we're doing," Brennan said.
"But all bets are off for 2028," he added. Iowa wasn't the only state to lose its privileged status in picking the next president.
The DNC is still locked in a battle with New Hampshire to change its order in the primaries, though the state's GOP Gov. Chris Sununu said they "will not back down." However, Iowa and New Hampshire have long been in the crosshairs of those who believe the states are too white and too rural.
New Hampshire has already received three extensions from the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee to get its act together to move the primary. This accommodation came after New Hampshire Secretary of State Dave Scanlan announced its primary would be moved up even further to be the first in the nation in January, edging out South Carolina for the position.
This last extension is only good until Oct. 14. After that, the state would be penalized for non-compliance with the party, and some believe the Granite State could hold its own rogue primary.
However, this move in New Hampshire could jeopardize President Joe Biden's spot on the Democratic ticket. The DNC likely believes this is the hill to die on since it advances their pet cause of diversity.
The party believes that the new order that now begins with Nevada and South Carolina will more broadly represent the racial makeup of the party. Those states will be bumped up to the top spots after previously enjoying the third and fourth spots, respectively.
This in-fighting comes as Gallup polling revealed Republicans are beating Democrats on many fronts, which is especially troubling considering that Biden is an unpopular incumbent. Voters trust Republicans over Democrats on the issues of the economy by 14 points and national security by 22 points, among other metrics.
While it's true that New Hampshire and Iowa don't reflect the rest of the party, it's telling that they're scrambling to make these changes to help the struggling Biden campaign. Regardless of how they swap the order, Biden is still a terrible president and faces a tough reelection because of it.
