Iowa Democratic caucus comes to Charlotte County

Reporter: Anika Henanger
Published: Updated:
FILE: Voter election photo. (Credit: AP News/FILE)
FILE: Voter election photo. (Credit: AP News/FILE)

Florida’s presidential primary will not be until March, but some people who are living in our state will be voting in Iowa’s a month earlier. It is called a satellite caucus and organizers said it is to help make sure every voice is heard before the presidential primary.

Iowans in Southwest Florida, like Audra Lynn, will now get the chance to pick their state’s Democratic nominee for president. But, they will not have to go back to Iowa.

“I mean, I take voting very seriously,” Lynn said. “Ever since I’ve been 18, I’ve voted and so I would spend over a thousand dollars just to fly back only to vote.”

Iowa’s Democratic party tested the idea of a satellite caucus four years ago. On Feb 3, registered Iowa Democrats can go to one of the 99 satellite caucus locations. Four of these locations are in Florida, including at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Charlotte County.

Troy Price, the Iowa Democratic Party chair, said 37 people are signed up in Port Charlotte. But he explained, Iowans cannot just show up at the polling locations. They must register in advance. Other states have more sites, such as in California, Arizona, Paris and Scotland.

The Democratic Party Convention decided against online caucuses because of security concerns. But virtual caucuses may not be far away. Neither is the deadline to register, which is over two weeks away.

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