The 2020 Democratic caucus is tomorrow: Monday, February 3rd.
Iowans will gather together in 1678 different precinct locations across the state. Up for grabs are 49 pledged delegates to be divvied up among the candidates according to their final share of the vote in the precincts.
Here's how it will work, for those of you who are interested but don't know:
Voters show up at 6:30 (doors close at 7, no entry after that) and enter the caucus and gather with their #1 candidate's precinct captain. The venues are chosen based on expected turnout, with some precincts expecting thousands and some expecting dozens.
ROUND ONE - First Count
Once the doors lock and everyone has gone to their #1 choice, the first count is made. Everyone fills out a voter card and gives it to the overall precinct coordinator who is from the Democratic Party national. This is called something like "Primary Candidate Preference" , but the media will probably call it the "First Count".
This is the only point in the process where things look like a normal primary vote. All voters are counted and then the individual candidates' voters are counted. Simple math is done to determine percentages. (Klobuchar 34%, Bloomberg 25%, Bennet 19%, Yang 12%, Steyer 7%, Warren 2%, Biden 1%)
This number WILL be reported to the media this year (it usually isn't). So once campaigns get word of high numbers, they will immediately start crowing about success before the caucus is even over. You might see a big difference in results from the First Count to whatever comes out of the end of the sausage-making process.
ROUND TWO - Final Count
If your candidate is at/above threshold (15%), you have to stay there. Even if you're an Amy man and a hot girl in the Yang group gives you the eye and pantomimes a BJ if you switch, you're not allowed to. (I think blowjobs in that context are electioneering and can get you arrested anyway.)
If your candidate is below threshold (15%), you can switch. (Or just leave shouting, "GABBARD OR BUST MOTHERFUCKER!")
There will be a 15 minute period during which you try to lure (Yang girl) or harass (Bernie Bro who threatens to rape people who don't come over to the Bern Dawg) people over to your candidate or decide to move to either an already-viable candidate or to a candidate who would hit viability with your help. (Joking aside, campaign loyalists will bring like cookies and brownies and offer them as temptations. Money itself isn't legal, I don't think, but I know for sure that you can bribe with food which is hilarious.)
At the end of the 15 minutes, if you're still in an area with a candidate below threshold, you are given an awkward look by everyone and made to feel very uncomfortable. And you have to leave like a dumb loser who doesn't even know math. People might throw things at you and the Bernie Bro will call your mother a whore (which she probably is).
New voter cards are given out and a "Final Candidate Preference" count is made.
This will also be reported by the media. Campaigns who gained a lot from the reshuffle will crow about how this shows that they are unifying and well-liked and viable once other losers drop out. So while the toxic rapist misogynistic transphobic pedophiles of the Bernie campaign might get a high First Count, their Final Count won't grow once others realize that ritual cannibalism is required to be a Bro.
(Klobuchar 35%, Bloomber 25%, Bennet 20%, Yang 20%) (Steyer, Warren, Biden go Buh-Bye)
ROUND THREE - Delegate Allocation
"But b_t," the observant ones among you will have thought, "if there are only 49 delegates to be awarded and 1678 precincts, how are the delegates awarded?"
Well, dumbass, here's how that goes...
There is a formula for delegate selection that determines how many people from each precinct go to a convention held at the county level. These county-level conventions are held in late March. The Iowa Democratic Party will then use the county convention results to determine the allocation of delegates for the national Democratic convention.
Sounds stupid right? Bet your ass it is!