moving down in the lineup?
Biden ally suggests the Iowa caucus process is more restrictive than Texas' voting law
It may be tough for Democrats to change their primary schedule for 2024, but the party seems quite determined to eventually move Iowa out of the leadoff spot, The Washington Post.
That's partly because the Hawkeye State is no longer viewed as nationally representative in terms of its electorate, but also because of the nature of the caucus, which has at times — especially in 2020 — led to a lot of controversy due to reporting mishaps and "high barriers to participation." South Carolina State Sen. Dick Harpootlian (D), a former chair of the Palmetto State's Democratic Party and a longtime ally of President Biden, went so far as to describe the process of voting in the caucus as far more restrictive than the requirements laid out in a new voter law in Texas universally opposed by Democrats.
"It is not suited to normal people, people that actually have daily lives," Harpootlian told the Post, pointing to the fact that participating requires devoting hours of time on a week night. "I just think the caucus as it exists in Iowa is not suitable in 21st-century America."
Yet, it's unclear if Democrats will actually make any moves. A state law in Iowa requires both parties to hold their primary caucuses at least eight days before any other state in the union. The GOP controls Iowa's government and is committed to keeping the status quo, likely throwing a wrench into the national Democratic Party's plans, the Post notes. Read more at The Washington Post.