The U.S. Democratic presidential nominating race got off to a chaotic start in Iowa on Monday, as the results of the state’s caucuses were delayed for hours while party officials double-checked “inconsistencies” in the initial count.
Voters poured into more than 1,600 schools, community centers and other public locations for the caucuses in Iowa, the first state to choose a November election challenger to Republican U.S. President Donald Trump.
But the Iowa state party delayed the results as it performed “quality checks” after finding “inconsistencies” in the reporting of the data from the caucus sites, sparking frustration in Democratic campaigns and criticism from Republicans.
It was unclear when any results would be released.
“In addition to the tech systems being used to tabulate results, we are also using photos of results and a paper trail to validate that all results match and ensure that we have confidence and accuracy in the numbers we report,” state party spokeswoman Mandy McClure said.
She said the underlying data and paper trail were sound.
Iowa voters were meeting to render judgment on a field of 11 Democratic contenders led by front-runners Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Vice President Joe Biden, who have battled for the top in recent Iowa opinion polls.
Long lines and heavy crowds were reported in some locations, but doors to the caucus sites closed and the process began at 7 p.m. (0100 GMT on Tuesday).
“It’s definitely going to delegitimize whoever wins,” a source in former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s campaign said of the delay in results, adding it would dampen the immediate benefits of a strong night. – READ MORE