One Iowa resident to caucus from 8,851 miles away

Being 8,851 miles away from his hometown of Davenport, Iowa, won't stop Kevin O'Brien from participating in the Iowa caucuses.

O'Brien, 27, is a Peace Corps volunteer in Montepuez, Mozambique, and will take part in the first ever Tele-Caucus, presented by the Iowa Democratic Party. The purpose of the Tele-Caucus is to let Iowans not in the state, like college students studying abroad and military members, still participate in the big event. O'Brien has been working as a community health volunteer in Africa since last May, and will cast his vote at 3 a.m. local time. "That's just the Iowa way," he told the Des Moines Register. "You got to wake up in the middle of the night and caucus. It's all about living up to the first in the nation status."

O'Brien said he volunteered during President Obama's caucuses in 2008 and 2012, but since he wasn't in Iowa and didn't have the opportunity to meet any of this year's candidates, he's not sure who will get his support. "Certainly people who grow up in Iowa grow accustomed to getting to know the candidates up close and personal," he said.

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