Former mayor Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders were in the lead after the first round of Iowa Democratic caucus results were released Tuesday. But results from the state party only accounted for 62% of all precincts across the state's 99 counties, and there was no timeline for when additional results would be reported.

They were followed by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, with former Vice President Joe Biden in fourth place.

By late Tuesday night, 71 percent of the state's Democratic precincts had been reported, but the additional precincts did not impact Buttigieg's and Sanders' front-runner status.

Stung by a massive meltdown in producing the results for the Iowa Caucuses, state Democratic party officials were still unable to declare a winner Tuesday evening, nearly 24 hours after caucusgoers began gathering. Instead, 62 percent of all Iowa Democratic precincts would be reported shortly after 5 p.m. ET, state party chair Troy Price said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon.

For decades, the winner of Iowa’s caucuses has been decided by a complicated system of state delegate equivalents, which operates kind of like the Electoral College. Unlike in the November presidential vote, though, Iowa's tally of popular support was never released.

But this year, the Iowa Democratic Party is publishing two raw vote totals and the delegate numbers from caucus night. So one candidate could win one or both of the delegate counts but lose the popular vote.

The results debacle unfolded under the glare of the national spotlight and drew sharp criticism from voters, the candidates themselves and even President Donald Trump, who handily won the Republican side of the caucuses.

Price said he could assure voters and candidates that the results were accurate and were backed up by a paper trail.

"We have worked with several security experts, nationally known security experts to test this out," Price said.

Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential contest had been revamped this year to try to avoid problems that arose in the 2016 caucuses, which were also plagued by late reporting and questions of whether the popular vote winner ended up winning the state delegate equivalents.Iowa Democratic Party officials said this year’s problems were not caused by outside interference. Rather, they were the result of a new reporting process involving a smart-phone app that caucus chairs were supposed to use to upload results. A coding glitch prevented many of the precinct chairs from reporting, which caused a backup telephone reporting system to be overloaded, leaving some chairs on hold for more than two hours.

Sanders rallies with fans in New Hampshire

MILFORD, N.H. – Sen. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday night touted his performance in Iowa from the night before as the Iowa Democratic Party continued to count votes.

"I'm very proud to tell you that last night in Iowa we received more votes on the first and second round than any other candidate,” Sanders told more than 1,000 cheering supporters at a rally here.

His remarks came as the state party had released 62.7 percent of Iowa votes, showing former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg ahead with 26.9 percent of the vote and Sanders with 25.1 percent.

"For some reason in Iowa, they're having a little bit of trouble counting votes,” Sanders said. “But I am confident that here in New Hampshire, I know they’ll be able to count your votes on election night. And when you count those votes, I am going to win here in New Hampshire."

Sanders, who was set to give a public response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union in Manchester later Tuesday, said he would be returning to Washington to vote on President Donald Trump’s impeachment Wednesday.

“Tomorrow the votes may not be there to impeach Trump, but I am absolutely confident that in November the votes will be there to defeat Donald Trump,” he said. “And with your help next Tuesday, we begin and continue the process of winning here in New Hampshire, going on to Nevada, going on to South Carolina, going on to California, to win those states and become the Democratic nominee.

Sanders, who has been polling in first in New Hampshire for weeks, concluded his approximately 30-minute speech by telling the crowd, “New Hampshire goes first in terms of primaries. You go first. The whole country will be watching. And a week from tonight, New Hampshire has the opportunity to tell not only this nation, but the entire world, that we together will stand for justice, for compassion and for children.”

- Joey Garrison

Candidates tout standings as partial results trickle in

Shortly after the Iowa Democratic Party released initial caucus results, several candidates touted their standings in the partial results that the party released.

Former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigeig while speaking at an event in Laconia, New Hampshire, choked up after speaking about the preliminary results.

"It validates the idea that we can expand a coalition not only unified around who it is we're against but around what it is that we're for," he said.

Live results updates:

"It validates for a kid somewhere in a community wondering," he continued, "if he belongs, or she belongs, or they belong in their own family. That if you believe in yourself and your country, there's a lot backing up that belief."

Sen. Bernie Sanders' senior advisor Jeff Weaver praised the Vermont senator's standing with the raw vote totals, not state delegate equivalents.

“We want to thank the people of Iowa. We are gratified that in the partial data released so far it’s clear that in the first and second round more people voted for Bernie than any other candidate in the field," Weaver said in a statement.

Warren in a tweet said she's proud of the "powerful grassroots movement" her campaign has built.

"We’ve come out of Iowa in the top three and we are in a strong position heading into New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina, and Super Tuesday," she continued. "Let’s go!"

Following the release of the partial caucus results, Klobuchar's campaign said that this is now a five person race.

"What these results make clear is that this is a five person race," Klobuchar campaign manager Justin Buoen wrote on Twitter. "Some of Amy's strongest counties haven't been fully reported and the current data doesn't tell the full story. We're in a virtual tie with VP Biden and we look forward to making our case in New Hampshire."

– Rebecca Morin

Bernie Sanders says he's proud of Iowa, confident in New Hampshire

MILFORD, N.H. – Sen. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday night touted his performance in Iowa from the night before as the Iowa Democratic Party continued to count votes.

"I'm very proud to tell you that last night in Iowa we received more votes on the first and second round than any other candidate,” Sanders told more than 1,000 cheering supporters at a rally here.

His remarks came as the state party had released 62.7 percent of Iowa votes, showing former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg ahead with 26.9 percent of the vote and Sanders with 25.1 percent.

"For some reason in Iowa, they're having a little bit of trouble counting votes,” Sanders said. “But I am confident that here in New Hampshire, I know they’ll be able to count your votes on election night. And when you count those votes, I am going to win here in New Hampshire."

Sanders, who was set to give a public response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union in Manchester later Tuesday, said he would be returning to Washington to vote on President Donald Trump’s impeachment Wednesday.

“Tomorrow the votes may not be there to impeach Trump, but I am absolutely confident that in November the votes will be there to defeat Donald Trump,” he said. “And with your help next Tuesday, we begin and continue the process of winning here in New Hampshire, going on to Nevada, going on to South Carolina, going on to California, to win those states and become the Democratic nominee.

Sanders, who has been polling in first in New Hampshire for weeks, concluded his approximately 30-minute speech by telling the crowd, “New Hampshire goes first in terms of primaries. You go first. The whole country will be watching. And a week from tonight, New Hampshire has the opportunity to tell not only this nation, but the entire world, that we together will stand for justice, for compassion and for children.”

– Joey Garrison

Buttigieg chokes up over historic significance of his bid

Pete Buttigieg, the candidate known for his unflappability but criticized for not showing more emotion, let his heart show Tuesday.

Relaying to New Hampshire voters the breaking news that he is leading in Iowa caucus returns, Buttigieg choked up when describing the significance of that for gay people and others who have felt excluded.

“It validates for a kid, somewhere in a community, wondering if he belongs, or she belongs, or they belong, in their own family, that if you believe in yourself and your country, there's a lot backing up that belief,” Buttigieg said.

The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, did not come out as gay until 2015. He has said that he long believed he could either be out or be in politics, but not both.

After his strong showing in Iowa, where the results are still being tabulated, the leader of a group that backs openly gay candidates said Buttigieg’s candidacy represents a revolution in American politics.

Annise Parker, head of LGBTQ Victory Fund, said Buttigieg is “upending traditional notions of electability and proving America is ready to elect its first openly gay president.”

A recent national USA TODAY/Ipsos Poll showed, however, some qualms remain about the electoral appeal of a gay candidate.

Being a gay man makes a candidate less appealing, according to 32% of Americans and 23% of Democratic voters. Half of Americans and two-thirds of the Democratic voters said it doesn't make a difference.

It made a big difference to one Iowa caucusgoer, captured on video, who wanted to withdraw her support for Buttigieg after learning he’s married to a man.

“I don’t want anybody like that in the White House,” she said. “So can I have my card back?”

The precinct captain responded that she respects the other woman’s view but suggested she dig deep inside and ask if Buttigieg’s sexuality really matters.

“What I teach my son is, love is love and we’re all human beings,” she said.

— Maureen Groppe

Majority of results to be released by 5 p.m., Iowa Dems say

Officials from Iowa's Democratic Party told the candidates' campaigns in a private conference call Tuesday that they planned to release a majority of the results by 5 p.m. EST, an Iowa Democratic Party spokesperson told the Des Moines Register.

The state party chairman, Troy Price, told the campaigns they expected to have at least 50% of the results by that time but was unable to say when they expected to have the rest of the data compiled.

"We will continue to work through the process," Price said, according to AP, which monitored the call. "We want to get some results out there."

– William Cummings, USA TODAY

Biden spokesperson: The integrity of the Iowa caucuses at stake

NASHUA, NH – The national communications director of Joe Biden’s presidential campaign said Tuesday the “integrity” of the Iowa caucuses is at stake as she urged the state party to take their time to get the results right but denied reports suggesting the campaign is weighing litigation.

“What we are saying is there’s some inconsistencies with the process, the integrity is at stake, and the Iowa Democratic Party needs to check that data, check it again, check it a third time, and check it a fourth time, because it’s important to get it right,” the campaign’s National Communications Director Symone Sanders said.

Her remarks came after the release of the results of Monday’s Iowa caucus was put on hold after a new cell phone app used at caucus sites had malfunctions. Unverified internal numbers put out by the campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders showed Biden in a distant 4th place. But Biden, addressing supporters at a girls social services nonprofit in Nashua Tuesday, offered optimism about his Iowa performance.

"As my mother would say, hope springs eternal, pal,” Biden, appearing with former New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch, told a crowd of a couple hundred people. “We’re not giving up. We’re not giving up."

“I said it last night. Let’s give them time,” he said of the Iowa Democratic Party. “I’m not being critical. Let’s give them time to work out those issues carefully because a lot depends on them.”

Biden left the event without taking questions from reporters. “I don’t know what happened in Iowa this morning,” he said, raising his hands and walking away.

– Joey Garrison, USA TODAY

Warren on releasing half the results: 'I just don't understand'

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, said at a campaign event in New Hampshire that she was confused by Iowa Democrats' plan to release at least half the results by 5 p.m. EST.

"I just don't understand what that means, to release half of the data," she said. "I think they ought to get it together and release all of the data."

She said her campaign was sharing what data they had to assist in the vote count and called on other campaigns to do the same.

– William Cummings, USA TODAY

Sanders 'extremely disappointed' Iowa Democratic Party hasn't released results

As Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., prepared to board a plane for New Hampshire, he told the Des Moines Register that he is "extremely disappointed" that the results of Monday's Iowa caucuses have not been released.

"Obviously, I suspect I speak for all of the candidates, I am extremely disappointed by the inability of the Iowa Democratic Party to come up with the results in a timely manner. I don’t know why in 2020 it should take so much time," Sanders said in a car at the Des Moines airport tarmac.

Iowa Democratic Party officials have said they would release partial results from Monday's caucuses at 5 p.m. ET, amid critiques and confusion over the lack of any results data Monday night.

– Nick Coltrain, Des Moines Register

Sen. Durbin questions whether a ‘credible result’ will come out of Iowa

Democratic senators expressed concern about the management of this year’s Democratic caucuses, and a top Democrat called the delay in results a “political asterisk.”

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the second-ranking Senate Democrat, told reporters the caucuses might not conclude in a “credible result.”

“Right now it's turned out to be a political asterisk. We just don't know if it's going to end up a credible result. That's a shame for everyone,” he continued.

“Yeah, I think it needs to be changed,” said Sen. Michael Bennet, when asked about the process for the Iowa caucuses. Bennet, D-Colo., is also a Democratic presidential candidate.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who was the party’s 2016 vice presidential nominee, said the situation in Iowa was “unfortunate.”

“I think what happened last night is so unfortunate for all the volunteers, for all the voters, for all the candidates,” he said.

Kaine prefers the open primaries in Virginia.

“I like our system and I think primaries lead to more participation than caucuses, but I've never felt like it was my duty to tell a state party how to do their process, but certainly that's going to have to be a discussion,” he said.

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said the general election was more important than any stumbles in February.

“A lot is going to happen between now and November, it's probably not going to be how the Iowa Democratic Party stumbled in February that determines a single person's vote,” he said.

– Nicholas Wu, USA TODAY

Nevada Dems confident they won't suffer same fate as Iowa

As in Iowa, Nevada's state Democratic Party plans to use an app to report the results of its caucuses. But party officials said they don't anticipate the same problems for their voters on Feb. 22.

"NV Dems can confidently say that what happened in the Iowa caucus last night will not happen in Nevada on February 22nd," said the party's chairman, William McCurdy. "We will not be employing the same app or vendor used in the Iowa caucus.

"We had already developed a series of backups and redundant reporting systems, and are currently evaluating the best path forward."

– James DeHaven, Reno Gazette Journal, and Mike Snider, USA TODAY

App that contributed to reporting issues linked to Clinton 2016 campaign

The smartphone application blamed in part for the ongoing delay in reporting results of the Monday Iowa caucuses is linked with key Iowa and national Democrats associated with Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

The app was issued by Jimmy Hickey of Shadow Inc., metadata of the program the Des Moines Register analyzed Tuesday shows. Gerard Niemira and Krista Davis, who worked for Clinton’s 2016 campaign, co-founded the company

Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price worked as Clinton’s 2016 Iowa political director. He did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday about the relationship between the party and Shadow, which it paid $63,184 for website development and travel expenses, according to reports filed with the Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board.

Security watchdogs had called on Iowa Democrats to be more transparent about the development and testing of the app prior to Monday’s caucuses. But Democrats declined to name the developer or provide testing details, saying top cybersecurity experts advised against releasing too much information because it could result in the vendor being targeted.

– Jason Clayworth, Des Moines Register

Buttigieg addresses early 'victory' declaration

"I think it’s safe to say no one in the country is more impatient than I am to hear the official results from the party," former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg said Tuesday on "CBS This Morning."

When asked if his boast of victory was "premature," Buttigieg – whose declaration was derided by supporters of other candidates using #MayorCheat on Twitter – repeated his claim.

"Looking at all the data we've got it was an extraordinary night. And we are absolutely victorious coming into New Hampshire," he said.

Elaborating on what he meant by victory, Buttigieg said, "The fact that this campaign was able to gather support in urban, suburban, and rural areas alike – in counties that Hillary Clinton won, counties that Donald Trump won – we are thrilled and absolutely consider that a victory."

– William Cummings

'Coding issue' caused incomplete reports, Dems say

The Iowa Democratic Party said early Tuesday the "underlying data collected" on the app used to report caucus results "was sound" but the system was only reporting out partial data.

The error was caught early as precinct caucus results started coming in and the Iowa Democratic Party ran them through accuracy and quality checks, said party chair Price in a statement. He added precinct chairs reported data accurately, and it will take time to finalize results.

"We have determined that this was due to a coding issue in the reporting system. This issue was identified and fixed," he said in the statement. "The application’s reporting issue did not impact the ability of precinct chairs to report data accurately."

Price did not say when results from the Iowa caucuses would be released.

"Because of the required paper documentation, we have been able to verify that the data recorded in the app and used to calculate State Delegate Equivalents is valid and accurate," he said in the statement. "Precinct level results are still being reported to the IDP. While our plan is to release results as soon as possible today, our ultimate goal is to ensure that the integrity and accuracy of the process continues to be upheld."

He added the party has "every indication" the app was secure and there was no cyber intrusion or hacking of the system.

The Iowa caucuses kicked off at 7 p.m. CT Monday in church basements and school gyms across the state.

At about 10:30 p.m. CT, when no results had rolled in, the party issued a statement saying the party found inconsistencies in the three data sets — the first alignment, the second alignment and the overall delegate numbers — and that it would take longer than expected to report results.

– Kim Norvell, Des Moines Register

'Duh Moines': Newspapers take on Iowa's 'chaos'

Newspapers across the country used various approaches to describe the uncertainty in the wake of Iowa’s Democratic caucuses Monday night after the state party did not report any results.

“Duh Moines,” the New York Post’s frontpage headline read.

Three other newspapers summed up the situation as chaotic -- a description the New York Post also used.

“Iowa delivers caucus chaos,” the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s front page headline read.

The Chicago Sun-Times used the same phrase.

And the Los Angeles Times used the headline “Iowa caucuses turn to chaos as party fails to name victor.”

“Anticipation quickly turns to apprehension in Iowa,” was the Boston Globe’s front page headline.

And the Miami Herald called the results delay in Iowa, a “poor start” to the 2020 nomination season.

–Joshua Gargiulo, USA TODAY

Iowa Democratic Party: Results expected 'later' Tuesday following manual recount

The head of the Iowa Democratic Party said the organization is manually recounting the results of the Iowa Caucuses and he expects the numbers to be released sometime Tuesday.

It’s unclear how quickly the state that kicks off the presidential nominating process will be able to reveal who won the contest.

But “the integrity of our process with the results have and always will be our top priority,” Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) Chair Troy Price told reporters at a conference call at 1 a.m. CST. “At this point, the IDP is manually verifying all precinct results. We expect to have numbers to report later today. “

Price repeated the party’s early assertion that the technical glitch with the system “is a reporting issue not a hack or an intrusion. And it’s exactly why we have a paper trail and systems in place to uphold the integrity of our process.”

“They’re validating every piece of data we have against our paper trail,” he said. “The system is taking longer than expected but it’s in place to ensure we are eventually able to report results with full confidence.”

Price said the IDP has reached out to the various campaigns and is keeping them updated.

Piyce comments followed criticism from some campaigns, notably former Vice President Joe Biden’s who called the reporting problems “acute failures.”

- Ledyard King

Biden campaign slams Iowa Democratic Party for ‘acute failures’

Joe Biden’s campaign is slamming the Iowa Democratic Party, saying the “considerable flaws” holding up election results for the Iowa Caucuses demand a complete and speedy answer.

“We appreciate that you plan to brief the campaigns momentarily on these issues, and we plan to participate,” Dana Remus, general counsel for the former vice president’s campaign wrote in a letter Monday night as delays extended into early Tuesday morning.

“However, we believe that the campaigns deserve full explanations and relevant information regarding the methods of quality control you are employing, and an opportunity to respond before any official results are released,” the letter said.

The Iowa Democratic Party which runs the caucuses reported “inconsistencies” in the reporting of the result.

“In addition to the tech systems being used to tabulate results, we are also using photos of results and a paper trail to validate that all results match and ensure that we have confidence and accuracy in the numbers we report,” said Mandy McClure, a spokeswoman for the state party. “This is simply a reporting issue, the app did not go down and this is not a hack or an intrusion. The underlying data and paper trail is sound and will simply take time to further report the results."

- Ledyard King

Trump campaign blasts Democrats for caucus delays, calling it 'sloppiest train wreck in history'

The Trump campaign was quick to seize on Monday night's delays in caucus results, calling it the "sloppiest train wreck in history."

"Democrats are stewing in a caucus mess of their own creation with the sloppiest train wreck in history," Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said in an emailed statement.

He also raised concerns about "the fairness of the process" after suggesting in a tweet that the "quality control" issues Democrats cited in the delay were part of a scheme to rig the results.

"And these are the people who want to run our entire health care system?" he asked.

Parscale also touted the president's easy victory earlier in the night in Iowa's Republican caucuses, where he faced no significant challenge.

"Tonight President Trump posted a record performance in the well-run GOP Iowa caucuses with record turnout for an incumbent," Parscale added.

In the days leading up to the Iowa caucuses, the Trump campaign sought to project a massive GOP show of force in the Midwest state, deploying 80 presidential surrogates, including much of Trump's cabinet and members of his family.

The president also held a campaign rally in Des Moines on Thursday that brought out more than 7,000 supporters to the city's Drake University.

Meanwhile, Iowa's GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann said he supported the IDP's decision to ensure the results are "correct rather than quick."

"Accuracy doesn't run on deadline," he tweeted.

- Courtney Subramaniam

Buttigieg: Iowa has proved the skeptics wrong

The last of the Democratic frontrunners to speak while the candidates still waited for results, Pete Buttigieg went farther than others had in claiming victory.

“We don’t know all the results. But we know by the time it’s all said and done, Iowa, you have shocked the nation,” Buttigieg said. “Because, by all indications, we are going on to New Hampshire victorious.”

The boisterous crowd alternatively chanted “Boot-edge-edge” and “President Pete!” throughout his speech.

The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, said there were plenty of skeptics who said: “not now, not this time” of a presidential bid by the 38-year-old, openly gay candidate.

“Iowa, you have proved those skeptics wrong,” he said.

Buttigieg said his campaign brought together a coalition of progressives, moderates and a good number “of what we like to call future former Republicans.”

His campaign had said it exceeded internal projections in counties that had voted for President Barack Obama before flipping to Trump that he’d heavily targeted.

“This is the coalition that no pundit saw coming,” Buttigieg said. “And it’s the coalition the president won’t see coming either.”

- Maureen Groppe

Results from Iowa caucuses delayed because of 'inconsistencies'

Iowa Democratic Party officials are holding a phone call with campaigns amid delays in reporting caucus results, and pushing back on reports that of a voting app malfunction and hacking.

People familiar with the decision spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to describe the private call.

The Iowa Democratic Party said earlier Monday night that it was experiencing a delay in reporting results from the first-in-the-nation caucuses because of unspecified “quality checks.”

Communications director Mandy McClure said in a statement Monday night that the delay is also the result of the party reporting three sets of data for the first time.

McClure says the party has data so far from “around 25%” of the state’s 1,765 precincts and “and early data indicates turnout is on pace for 2016."

"We found inconsistencies in the reporting of three sets of results. In addition to the tech systems being used to tabulate results, we are also using photos of results and a paper trail to validate that all results match and ensure that we have confidence and accuracy in the numbers we report," she said in a statement.

"This is simply a reporting issue, the app did not go down and this is not a hack or an intrusion. The underlying data and paper trail is sound and will simply take time to further report the results."

Bret Niles, chairman of the Linn County Democratic Party, said he was aware of eight of 86 precinct officials in that county that had trouble logging into the app as of about 2:30 p.m. Monday.

Precinct chairs were provided a PIN to test the mobile app, which was different than a login required for Caucus Day. Some might have entered the wrong login credentials Monday, creating temporary problems, Niles said.

Several Democratic precinct chairs reported Monday afternoon they were unable to log into a new phone app to report results.

- Courtney Subramaniam, Lee Rood and Jason Clayworth, Des Moines Register, Associated Press

Bernie Sanders: Change is coming

Hours after the caucusing ended, Sen. Bernie Sanders started his remarks to supporters saying he imagines “that, at some point, the results will be announced.”

“And I have a good feeling we’re going to be doing very, very well here in Iowa,” he said while flanked on stage by his wife, son and grandchildren. “The message that Iowa has sent to the nation, the message shared by the American people, is that we want a government that represents all of us, not just wealthy campaign contributors and the 1%.”

Sanders said Monday’s caucus “marks the beginning of the end for Donald Trump.” He called the president a pathological liar who is corrupt and doesn’t understand the Constitution,

Sanders went through his campaign promises on health care, minimum wage, student debt and climate change before declaring: “Change is coming.”

“Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!” the crowd responded.

He called his campaign the “strongest grassroots movement this country has ever seen.”

“And now it is on to New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina, California,” he said while smiling, “and onward to victory!”

- Maureen Groppe

Warren: ‘One step closer’ to defeating Trump

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren isn’t sure how she did in the Iowa Caucuses due to reporting delays, but she told supporters Monday she’s confident Donald Trump’s days as president are numbered.

“Tonight as a party, we are one step closer to defeating the most corrupt president in American history,” she said.

Tomorrow Donald Trump will make a speech about the state of the union,” she told a cheering throng gathered. “But I have a message for every American: Our union is stronger than Donald Trump. And, in less than a year, our union will be stronger than ever when that one man is replaced by one very persistent woman.”

The true winner of the Iowa Caucuses may not be known for hours due to technical glitches in the election reporting system.

"It is too close to call," Elizabeth Warren tells supporters, "so I'm just going to tell you what I do know."

"You won!" a man in the audience shouted. The crowd cheered and Warren laughed.

The Iowa Democratic Party is reporting “inconsistencies in the reporting” results, and that it will “take time” for official results to come out.

- Ledyard King

Victory speeches before the winner is known

The candidates are not waiting for the election results of the Iowa Caucuses to declare victory.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar gave her remarks in Des Moines. Former Vice President Joe Biden followed shortly after. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are expected to follow suit.

It’s rare for candidates to speak without knowing the final outcome. But glitches with the new reporting program has made it unclear when the delegate totals will actually be known.

“We’re going to be here, it looks like, a really long time tonight,” Klobuchar told her supporters as she promised to head to the next campaign stop in New Hampshire.

- Ledyard King

Amy Klobuchar takes the stage in Iowa before results

Addressing supporters in Des Moines, presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar vowed late Monday to continue her campaign into the New Hampshire primary – even before the results in Iowa are anywhere near clear.

Klobuchar, who has not polled in the top tier of candidates in the weeks leading into the Iowa caucuses, spoke during a delay in results that left the nation hanging for the results. Her early remarks underscored an important concern for many of the candidates: They must quickly shift focus from Iowa to the first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire. That could be particularly true for Klobuchar, who will face headwinds in the New England state where Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Bernie Sanders will have something of a home-state advantage.

Klobuchar, speaking through a hoarse voice, said she is “feeling so good tonight” and hinted at the delay in the results.

“Someway, somehow I’m going to get on a plane tonight to New Hampshire,” Klobuchar said.

"We are going to be here, it looks like, a really long time tonight," Klobuchar said, joking that the national audience watching her remarks would have extra time to visit her campaign website.

-- John Fritze

Diverse turnout on Des Moines' north side

More than 130 people filled the Bosnian Islamic Center Zen Zen on Des Moines’ north side for a satellite caucus that catered to immigrants and non-English speakers on Monday night. The caucus is being held in a mosque, so everyone removed their shoes before entering.

As the proceedings got underway, Deven Sapkota volunteered to translate what caucus chair Zlatka Kendic, 34, was saying into Nepali. As volunteers began to count the caucusgoers, Sapkota said he didn’t expect to be translating for the room.

Most of the attendees picked up Sen. Bernie Sanders stickers or signs before taking their seats around 7 p.m. Volunteers from Sanders’ campaign handed out flyers that outlined his biography and positions in Bosnian and English.

Hari Pokhrel, who attended the caucus with her two daughters, said she liked Sanders’ plans for “Medicare for All” and debt-free college. She had written statements of support on her Sanders sign in both English and Nepali.

At 7:34 p.m., a volunteer had all the caucusgoers raise their hands to be counted. He then counted each of them aloud. Preference groups would need 21 supporters to meet the 15% viability threshold.

-- Austin Cannon, Des Moines Register

Iowa resident 'tired of the phone ringing'

Married couple Chris Martin, 53, and Melissa Murphy, 51, walked into their Liberty High caucus site in Johnson County still undecided. With twenty minutes until the doors closed, the two argued about who to support. Martin leaned toward Warren or Biden, who he feels has powerful connections in Washington. Murphy disagreed, leaning toward Warren or Buttigieg, saying she likes the way they both speak and feels “like their tweets would not be misspelled.”

They do, however, both agree they are ready for campaign staff to leave Iowa. Murphy estimates she’s had more campaign volunteers knock on her North Liberty door in the last year than she’s had trick-or-treaters in the last 15 years.

“I will be freaking relieved, because I’m so tired of the phone ringing,” Murphy said.

- Aimee Breaux, Iowa City Press-Citizen

Iowa caucus::What is a delegate equivalent? Or a viability threshold? The Iowa caucuses, explained.

Misinformation spreads in Iowa

Iowa’s Republican secretary of state chastised a right-wing D.C.-based foundation Monday for circulating false claims on social media suggesting inaccurate voter registrations heading into Caucus Day.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said on Twitter, Facebook and in a news release that eight Iowa counties had total voter registration rates larger than the eligible voter population.

But Secretary of State Paul Pate said early Monday that Fitton’s claims were “patently false," providing a link to actual county-by-county voter registration totals.

"It’s unfortunate this organization continues to put out inaccurate data regarding voter registration, and it’s especially disconcerting they chose the day of the Iowa Caucus to do this," Pate said in a news release.

- Jason Clayworth and Lee Rood, Des Moines Register

More:How do the Iowa caucuses work and how they are different than a primary?

President Donald Trump wins Republican caucuses in Iowa

President Donald Trump is the winner of the 2020 Iowa Republican caucuses, a largely symbolic vote as he was facing no significant opposition.

Still, Trump’s campaign was using Monday's contest to test its organizational strength, deploying Cabinet secretaries, top Republican officials and Trump family members to the state.

It's unusual for Iowa to even be holding a GOP contest with an incumbent in the White House. The Iowa Republican caucuses were canceled in 1992 and 2004. But GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufman said state officials were determined to keep the caucuses in place this year to maintain the state’s status as the first in the nation to cast its ballots.

- Associated Press

A bar where the hamburger is cheaper than a can of chew

Grant, Iowa, population 92 as of 2010, is hosting a Democratic caucus for the first time ever Monday evening — and it’s being held at The Hayloft, the town’s local bar and grill.

The Hayloft is owned by Zelda Swartz, a spry 74-year-old open Republican who’s run this establishment for 48 years. Hamburgers cost $2.50. There’s a Skoal chew dispenser behind the bar, at $7 a can.

The original plan was to host this precinct at Grant’s firehouse, just up the road, but they declined, Swartz said, because they would have to move the trucks outside. So the Iowa Democratic Party called Swartz. Of course, she said.

The front bar features signs and a TV in the far corner — and would later host a Grant City Council Meeting before the caucus. A rustic vibe fills the back room, where farm memorabilia is scattered, old signs hang and a pool table sits prominently. In the back, horse saddles and a Santa-like sleigh sit in the back.

On the floor, supporters for Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg claimed tables on both sides. They are friendly with one another and are collectively hopeful that 30 people show up to help decide who will receive the three delegates up for grabs in Montgomery County’s fifth precinct.

– Cody Goodwin, Des Moines Register

The political questions answered tonight

With caucus night upon us, there are some questions that caucusgoers across the state — and voters throughout the country — will see answered when the night is over.

The big question will obviously be momentum coming out of Monday night and heading into next week’s New Hampshire primary. Campaigns, pundits and even voters look at Iowa’s results to see who has a chance of continuing to the New Hampshire primary or who should call it quits.

Although the Iowa results won’t predict what happens in New Hampshire, it will be looked on as a guide.

Another question that will be answered is whether one of the big four candidates — former Vice President Joe Biden, former mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren — will win. All four candidates at some point have led the Des Moines Register/CNN/Mediacom Iowa Poll over the past several months. In addition, those four candidates have been within the top five nationally over the past couple of months.

Voters will also be looking to see whether Sen. Amy Klobuchar makes a run at the top tier. Klobuchar has seen a small bump in polling since a strong debate performance in December. And we’ll see Monday night whether that momentum continues. If she does well, it could lead to a bump in New Hampshire.

But several campaigns might declare themselves the winner, which the Associated Press will determine by state delegate equivalents. The Iowa Democratic Party will for the first time release raw numbers from the first grouping, as well as the final vote total after realignment.

- Rebecca Morin

The Trumps are making their presence known in Iowa

There's bustle outside of the Democratic caucuses today, too. President Donald Trump's eldest son was speaking in West Des Moines when a male protester interrupted to say that the president's policies and rhetoric have led to more Jewish deaths than those of any past president.

Security pulled the man out of the conference room as Donald Trump Jr. shouted back about misinformation spread by Democrats and members of the national media. His surrogates rose in applause as he yelled into the microphone.

At the press conference in West Des Moines, members of Trump's family also attacked Democrats as out of touch. Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend, Trump Victory Finance Committee National Chair Kimberly Guilfoyle, both described Democratic presidential candidates as "socialists" and "communists."

"We're going to beat them again," said the president's other son, Eric Trump. "We're going to beat them so much harder this time."

Trump's children also took shots at some specific candidates. Donald Trump Jr. referred to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as "mini Mike." (Bloomberg's height was trending on Google as 5 feet, 8 inches.)

Donald Trump Jr. also recalled campaigning for his father at Pizza Ranches in Iowa before the 2016 caucuses. He said he drew only about 15 people in the early events, a crowd size he compared to that of what former Vice President Joe Biden has drawn.

"That is a fight I would pay a lot of money to see," he said of a potential Biden-Trump match-up in the general election.

Among the Republican heavyweights in Iowa Monday: Trump's daughter-in-law and campaign adviser Lara Trump; Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross; Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos; U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows; U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise; and U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz

- Tyler Jett, Des Moines Register

Group gathers to demand union rights

An hour before the 4:30 p.m. caucus at the Drake University Fieldhouse began in Des Moines, the building was already awash in activity.

Demonstrators from the Fight for 15 movement gathered outside the building on the corner of Forest Avenue and 27th Street to demand a $15-an-hour minimum wage and union rights.

“We chose the caucus site tonight because we want our voices to be heard and we know this is where it’s gonna happen,” said 33-year-old organizer and Popeyes employee Delores Davis.

Fight for 15 has not endorsed a candidate for president in 2020. Several Democratic contenders have marched with workers from the movement.

Davis said she plans to caucus later tonight, but she hasn’t decided which candidate she’ll support.

“I want somebody that’s going to stand with us on the union,” she said.

To the tune of muffled chants from outside, student-athletes in the Fieldhouse practiced discus and softball on an astro-turf field. Drake softball players Kristen Arias, 19, and Emily Valtman, 18, finished a game of catch about 30 minutes before the event began.

Valtman is from Newton, but said she’s not sure if she will caucus tonight, as she was planning to attend a study hall instead.

— Katie Akin, Des Moines Register

Iowans caucus around the world

Hours before the caucuses got underway in the United States, Iowans were taking part all over the world.

Des Moines native Colyn Burbank hosted a mixture of Iowans, observers and press, at his apartment in Glasgow for one of the three International caucus events aimed at helping Democrats pick someone who can beat President Donald Trump in 2020.

On a blustery and rainy Monday, 20 Iowans showed up at Burbanks' residence in Scotland's capital to express their preference for who should be the Democrats' next standard-bearer. Despite a Friday NBC/WSJ national poll that showed Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden statistically tied, the former vice president did not receive a single vote.

Sanders garnered the most support, with 9 Iowans backing him to receive the nomination, followed by 6 for Elizabeth Warren and 3 for Pete Buttigieg. One voter chose not to express a second preference after her candidate did not receive enough backing to make it to a second round. Another was unable to vote because she turned up late.

"Not to put too fine a point on it but it feels like the future is at stake with this election," said Lucy Schiller, 31, who is teaching American literature and creative writing at a college in Germany and traveled to Glasgow for the caucus. She previously taught at the University of Iowa, in Des Moines. "This is the last off-ramp we have before climate disaster."

Schiller, who backs Sanders, said the Vermont Senator's policies were the most appropriate to meet this challenge.

Burbank, who is studying for a master's degree in social care in Glasgow, lives in the apartment with his wife and young daughter along with another Iowan couple, and their cat, Lewis. The couples had decorated their home with pictures of famous Iowans such as the actor John Wayne, American late-night television host Johnny Carson and Grant Wood's iconic 1930 painting "American Gothic," which shows a farmer holding a pitchfork next to a stern-faced woman.

They also put on an Iowan-type spread of corn chips, homemade chocolate cookies, pretzels and what they claimed was an Iowan staple called "puppy chow": a twisted midwestern masterpiece consisting of Chex cereal, peanut butter, chocolate and powdered sugar. Lewis, the cat, darted in and out of the room amid heated political discussion.

Monday’s very first Iowa caucus took place without a hitch in a city that has spent long periods under Persian and Russian rule. Tbilisi, in Georgia, is an ex-Soviet republic and the heart of the Caucasus region, an area that straddles eastern Europe and Western Asia. Tbilisi was also the first of the so-called Iowa satellite caucuses to see action Monday, as voters there chose their preferred Democratic candidates for the 2020 race for the White House. No matter that only three Iowans showed up.

“The Tbilisi caucus was conducted successfully, over a traditional Iowan meal of pizza and ranch dressing – accompanied by a Georgian wine,” its organizer Joshua Kucera tweeted, about 8 hours ahead of when many of the caucuses in Iowa are due to kick off. Alongside his comments, Kucera posted a picture of Iowa’s vertical red, white and blue tricolor flag with a bald eagle in its middle.

The caucuses - internal party meetings, essentially - don’t guarantee a candidate’s nomination but can provide momentum ahead of primaries this summer. Kucera said that the results from the Tbilisi event would be reported after the rest of the Iowa caucuses take place.

At stake Monday in Iowa are 41 delegates to the Democratic National Convention. Iowa’s Democratic Party has permitted this year 87 satellite caucuses, three of them international. In addition to Tbilisi, caucuses will also be held in a graduate student’s apartment in Glasgow, Scotland, and in Paris, France, where the mayor of France’s capital has agreed to let an American overseas college student host an Iowa caucus event.

All of the satellite caucus sites are being treated as one big county, so the out-of-state and international results won’t be known until all of the non-precinct locations report their results.

- Kim Hjelmgaard

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The media has taken over Iowa

Not only have presidential campaigns taken over Iowa, so has the media.

Hundreds of reporters from across the country, and even internationally, have descended on the state for the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

In downtown Des Moines, the NBC network has taken over a local coffee shop, Java Joe’s Coffee House. Several large trucks for the network crowded the street outside the shop. A sign that says “MSNBC at Java Joes” is displayed right when you walk in.

MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” was hosted live from there, and MSNBC anchor Katy Tur also went live at 2 p.m.

Dell Radcliffe, 68, said she went down to Java Joe’s to “see what was going on” after missing “Morning Joe” in the morning. But when Radcliffe, who is from Des Moines, walked in, she found out that Tur — whom Radcliffe said she didn’t know — was going to go live in the afternoon and decided to stick around.

“I started plugging my meter,” Radcliffe said. Radcliffe said she is still undecided with who she is going to caucus for but is leaning to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, but her husband, Mike Delaney, is going to caucus for Joe Biden.

Diane Miles, who is also from Des Moines, was sitting at Java Joe’s with a volunteer for Biden that she is hosting for the caucuses. The volunteer, John Douglass, is a retired Air Force general who is going around different states volunteering for Biden’s campaign.

- Rebecca Morin

First Iowans caucus overseas and in the state

OTTUMWA, Ia. — The Iowa caucuses have officially begun, with Democrats in southeastern Iowa declaring their preferences and kicking off a day that will help determine the fates of the seven presidential hopefuls who have staked everything on this state.

The Ottumwa satellite precinct caucus — which kicked off at noon at the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 230 union hall — was the first of roughly 1,700 caucus locations in Iowa to meet Monday.

At those locations across Iowa, the country and the world, Democrats will get the first take on what voters think about the field of presidential contenders. Before the vast majority of the country gets to weigh in, Iowans will already have made their mark.

Though nearly all of Iowa's precincts will convene their caucuses at 7 p.m. CDT, local Democrats petitioned the Iowa Democratic Party to host this so-called satellite location earlier in the day. It's designed to accommodate those who work the second shift at the local pork processing plant and during the evenings at other service industry jobs when the caucuses are traditionally held.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont won the precinct's first alignment, with 14 of the precinct's 15 people. One person caucused for U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Warren's supporter said she did not wish to caucus for Sanders on the second alignment. The Iowa Democratic Party will award delegates from the satellite caucus locations based on their final turnout later in the evening. The ultimate winner of Iowa's caucuses will be based on those delegate numbers.

– Brianne Pfannenstiel, Des Moines Register

Monday's first caucus was overseas

Monday’s very first Iowa caucus took place without a hitch in a city that has spent long periods under Persian and Russian rule. Tbilisi, in Georgia, is an ex-Soviet republic and the heart of the Caucasus region, an area that straddles eastern Europe and Western Asia. Tbilisi was also the first of the so-called Iowa satellite caucuses to see action Monday, as voters there chose their preferred Democratic candidates for the 2020 race for the White House. No matter that only three Iowans showed up.

“The Tbilisi caucus was conducted successfully, over a traditional Iowan meal of pizza and ranch dressing – accompanied by a Georgian wine,” its organizer Joshua Kucera tweeted, about 8 hours ahead of when many of the caucuses in Iowa are due to kick off. Alongside his comments, Kucera posted a picture of Iowa’s vertical red, white and blue tricolor flag with a bald eagle in its middle.

The caucuses – internal party meetings, essentially – don’t guarantee a candidate’s nomination but can provide momentum ahead of primaries this summer. Kucera said that the results from the Tbilisi event would be reported after the rest of the Iowa caucuses take place. At stake Monday in Iowa are 41 delegates to the Democratic National Convention. This year, Iowa’s Democratic Party has permitted 87 satellite caucuses, three of them international. In addition to Tbilisi, caucuses will also be held in a graduate student’s apartment in Glasgow, Scotland, and in Paris, France, where the mayor of France’s capital has agreed to let an American overseas college student host an Iowa caucus event.

All of the satellite caucus sites are being treated as one big county, so the out-of-state and international results won’t be known until all of the non-precinct locations report their results.

More:Iowa's caucusgoers have a new place to vote: Overseas

– Kim Hjelmgaard

For Iowans, the day has finally arrived

DES MOINES — The Iowa caucuses are finally here.

After a campaign season that literally started in 2017, Iowa Democrats and Republicans will head to caucus sites tonight and make their choice for who they want to be president. The USA TODAY Network will have more than 60 staff members spread across Iowa to bring you the latest, most up-to-date information from caucus sites.

In a field that once included more than 20 candidates, 11 remain. Many of them — including former Vice President Joe Biden, former mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, billionaire activist Tom Steyer and entrepreneur Andrew Yang — have been blanketing the state for weeks, making their case that they are best positioned to beat President Donald Trump in November.

Iowa Caucus Results:Follow live Iowa caucus results here on Monday night.

More:What is a delegate equivalent? Or a viability threshold? The Iowa caucuses, explained.

The early part of the campaign season saw the debate over Medicare for All dominate the conversation around candidates and illustrate the range of beliefs on health care in the Democratic Party. But the past month has seen escalated tension with Iran and the impeachment trial of Trump bring other issues into the conversation. At times, several candidates have traded jabs over experience, past comments, and where they think the Democratic Party should go.

Polling has shown a tight race, with Biden, Buttigieg, Sanders and Warren all at times leading Iowa polling. In recent weeks, Sanders has taken the lead in RealClearPolitics' rolling average of Iowa polls.

The Republican caucuses are not expected to bring any surprises: Trump remains popular with his base in Iowa, and his challengers have failed to gain traction.

Others Democrats, including Sen. Michael Bennet, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, and former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, are focusing their efforts in New Hampshire, where the primary is Feb. 10. Billionaire and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has skipped the early voting states all together.

– Annah Aschbrenner

Check back for live updates as we follow the candidates on the ground in Iowa and caucusgoers around the world.