Editorial: Did early call of Trump as Iowa caucus winner undermine voting process?
Before 8 p.m. on Monday night, the Associated Press and most major news outlets had declared former president Donald Trump the winner of the Iowa caucuses.
vlog and every major news organization reported those early results.
The DeSantis campaign cried foul. Caucus organizers weren't pleased. Supporters for every candidate not named Trump were also disappointed.
We stand by our reporting Monday night. And since then we've continued to report on the aftermath. We've reported on the process and data the AP used to make their pronouncement.
During our investigation, the AP reminded us they always wait until the polls are closed to call a race, and they considered 7 p.m. the time when polls close. Makes sense, but it understandably also raises questions.
2024 IOWA CAUCUS RESULTS: Republican results statewide, county by county
The causes aren't like other elections. That 7 p.m. mark was when caucusgoers needed to be in place, and the doors were closed. But there are several procedural steps before any votes are even taken, including getting a chance to hear from the candidates or their surrogates.
In today's age, where everyone carries a mobile device, caucusgoers clearly got news alerts that Trump had been declared the winner. Did this quash debate? Did it erode support for the other candidates?
Unfortunately, we won't know. But it did leave questions. And that's not good.
The overwhelming support for the former president was obvious, and that may be the last time we see a candidate like that. But here's the other thing we need to remember. At the Iowa caucuses coming in second, or a close third matters. And because the caucuses function differently following a different process to declare a winner in the future is something that should be considered.
2024 Iowa Caucus: Republican results statewide, county by county
If you don’t see caucus results below, click here.
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https://infogram.com/kcci-iowa-caucus-results-1h0r6rpj1oexw2e?live
