Editor's note: This story was originally published in February 2019 and explains the virtual caucus plan as planned at that date. On Aug. 29, sources told the Register that the Democratic National Committee will reject Iowa's plan.

Beginning in 2020, Iowa Democrats would not need to show up in person to have their caucus votes count.

Democrats have a plan to allow people to "caucus virtually" in the week leading up to the main event on Feb. 3. State party chairman Troy Price called the proposed changes the "most significant" alterations to the Iowa caucuses since their inception in 1972.

"These changes will make the 2020 caucuses the most accessible, the most transparent, the most secure and the most successful caucuses ever," he said in a conference call with reporters.

For years, critics have complained that the Iowa process makes it impossible for people who cannot show up on a particular night at a specific place — from night shift workers to people with health problems to those who care for young children — to make their voices heard. They have also complained that the process takes too long. Democrats believe their proposal addresses both of those concerns.

The state party received recommendations from a panel with the Democratic National Committee known as the Unity Reform Commission, and it has spent the last several months holding listening sessions about how best to implement those recommendations and mandates.

Price unveiled the party's proposed changes in a draft plan Monday. There is a 30-day public comment period before the plan will have to be approved by the state's central committee and the DNC. Price said he's had good conversations with members of the DNC and Democrats around the state.

How would a 'virtual caucus' work?

The plan to allow virtual caucusing is a major departure from the Iowa Democrats' decades-old system. The current system requires people to physically stand with other caucus-goers who support the same candidate and then move during a "realignment" period.

If the changes are adopted, registered Democrats would be able to register with the party if they want to caucus virtually. Those who register to participate virtually would not be allowed to participate in the in-person precinct caucuses Feb. 3.

Virtual participants could choose to take part in one of six virtual caucuses on their phone or smart device, and they would submit a form ranking up to five of their preferred candidates. Real-time closed captioning and language translation services would also be available.

The dates of the virtual caucuses would be:

7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020

12 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020

7:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 31, 2020

10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020

2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020

7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3, 2020

How would the realignment process work?

After Feb. 3, the results would be aggregated by congressional district and then support for each candidate would be tabulated.

As is currently the case, each candidate would need to gain the support of at least 15 percent of the voters to be considered viable. If a participant's first choice is not viable, his or her second choice would be counted.

"We will continue that process until we have exhausted choices," Price said.

Currently, all caucus attendees can change their preference during the realignment period, even if their candidate is viable. Beginning in 2020, participants in both the virtual and in-person caucuses would be locked into their choice if their candidate meets the viability threshold. Only those who support non-viable candidates would be allowed to realign.

Price said the changes to the realignment process are meant to shorten the amount of time it takes to caucus. He said his own experience in 2016 illustrates why the change is necessary.

"We had 880 people in our room, so it took a long time to get that number," he said. "Then we had a 30-minute realignment window and then we had to recount the entire room. In the course of that, 300 people left. We know that, as part of this process, we need to figure out how to make things go quicker in the room."

How would the results be calculated?

The virtual caucuses would happen independently of the in-person precinct caucuses and would not affect the allocation of delegates at the in-person caucuses, Price said.

Instead, the total virtual caucus results would count for 10 percent of the overall state delegate equivalents for each congressional district. That percentage would not change based on how many people participate virtually.

For example: If a congressional district has 250 state delegates for its district, it would now have an additional 25 delegates that would be awarded based on the result of the virtual caucus in that congressional district.

"An easy way for folks to conceptualize this would be to think we are now adding in essence, an additional county — the virtual caucus — in each of the four congressional districts," Price said.

How would the results be reported?

The virtual caucus results would be reported separately on caucus night but at the same time as the in-person precinct caucus results.

Also new in 2020: The DNC will now require Iowa to release raw vote totals in addition to state delegate equivalents.

Iowa currently uses an arcane process for tallying support and reporting out results on caucus night as "delegate equivalents." A delegate equivalent is the percentage of state convention delegates supporting a particular candidate.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton edged out Bernie Sanders by claiming 49.8 percent of state delegate equivalents, while Sanders claimed 49.6 percent of delegate equivalents.

Beginning in 2020, the party will release raw vote totals for the first alignment period and raw vote totals for the second alignment period as well as state delegate equivalents, Price said.

Delegates elected at the county, district and state levels in 2020 would be based on the state delegate equivalents each presidential campaign earns on caucus night, Price said.

What does this mean for presidential campaigns?

Price said the party would be able to tell campaigns who had already participated in the virtual caucuses, just as it is able to tell them who has voted in other elections with an absentee ballot. That would allow campaigns to focus their attention on other potential caucusgoers.

He said the changes would give campaigns an extra tool to help drive turnout.

"With the precinct caucuses still in existence, they’re still going to have to build out a traditional caucus campaign and ... infrastructure in 1,679 precincts across the state," he said. "But this will also ensure that, for their supporters who otherwise might not be able to attend for whatever reason, this will give them the opportunity to have their say, as well."