From Madrid, Iowa to Paris, France: Democratic Party expands list of places Iowans can caucus

In February, the Iowa caucuses won't just be in Iowa.

The Iowa Democratic Party released a list of 99 approved satellite caucus sites Wednesday afternoon. The list includes sites in 13 other states and D.C., as well as three in foreign countries: France, Scotland and the Republic of Georgia.

The remaining 71 sites are located in Iowa. Some are located in places where Iowans would be otherwise unable to attend a caucus, like at assisted living sites or closed factories.

"Notably, there are 19 working-related sites, 21 student sites on college campuses, 38 sites that accommodate accessibility needs, including aging service centers, 12 sites that are accommodating language and culture needs, and 9 sites for those Iowans who spend their winters in other parts of the country," the party's news release said.

The satellite caucus sites were chosen from a list of 192 submitted applications. Of the 136 applications deemed viable, 81% were approved.

"Our goal has remained steadfast throughout this process — to make these caucuses the most accessible in our party’s history, and the satellite caucuses do just that,” said Democratic Party Chair Troy Price in a statement.

Not all satellite caucuses will operate under the same set of rules.

The Iowa Democratic Party will also host caucuses in Iowa — at more than 1,600 locations in the Hawkeye State.

Here's how the new satellite process will work:

Do I have to pre-register to attend a satellite caucus?

Caucus locations are listed either as "open" or "closed." Closed locations are private to those who are already at the site, like an assisted living facilities. The open sites are open to any registered Iowa Democrat.

However, many of those open locations do require pre-registration to attend. If a caucus site is out of the state or takes place before 6 p.m. CST, caucusgoers must indicate their intention to attend online before Jan. 17, 2020.

Can I register at the door of a satellite caucus?

Precinct caucuses offer Iowans an opportunity to register to vote or change their party affiliations at the door. Registration will be available at some satellite caucuses, but not others.

A representative of the Iowa Democratic Party said most in-state satellite caucus locations will allow registration at the door. However, for caucuses that begin before 6 p.m. and caucuses that are out-of-state, caucusgoers will need to register to vote ahead of time.

Other Democratic changes for 2020

The satellite caucuses are perhaps the most significant change for the 2020 process, but they are certainly not the only one.

The Iowa Democratic Party has also introduced an online system that allows caucusgoers to check in online, rather than waiting in line on caucus night.

Democratic caucusgoers are also able to check their precinct caucus location using IWillVote.com, a new site launched by the Democratic National Committee. The Iowa Democratic Party removed the list of precinct caucus locations online in favor of promoting the new system, which auto-generates a voter's caucus location based on their home address.

Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at kakin@registermedia.com or at 515-284-8041. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin.

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