Iowa Caucus Review Committee Chairman Announces Latest Committee Updates
For Immediate Release: April 18, 2012
Iowa Caucus Review Committee Chairman Announces
Latest Committee Updates
DES MOINES—Subcommittees on public information, vote tabulation and volunteer training will give initial reports at the first meeting of a committee charged with reviewing Iowa’s first in the nation caucuses on Thursday, April 26 at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC).
The meeting will be 10 a.m. at the Board Room in Building 22, on the Ankeny campus.
Preliminary dates have also been set for a second and third meeting of the committee Wednesday, May 30th, in Cedar Rapids and Monday, June 25 in Sioux City.
“Having open, honest and transparent caucuses is in the interest of not only Republicans, but all Iowans–indeed all Americans,†said Bill Schickel, committee chair. “It is important that we have a process that gives a cross section of people in different parts of the state a chance to participate.â€
The public information subcommittee will review the process that was used in releasing voting information to the media and public. Â It is chaired by David Oman, with members Rev. Jamie Johnson, West Enos and Gwen Ecklund.
The operations and tabulation subcommittee will research caucus night voting tabulation procedures, vote reporting systems and the vote certification process. Â Â The chair is David Chung with co-chair Chad Olsen and members David Fischer, Richard Schwarm, Steve Grubbs and State Sen. Nancy Boettger.
A training subcommittee will review caucus training procedures, volunteer recruitment and training timelines.  The chair is Kathy Pearson with members Randy Erickson, Judy Davidson, Steve Scheffler and Kim Lehman.
Schickel has asked the subcommittees to gather ideas and recommendations from county chairs, central committee members, volunteers, Republican Party of Iowa staff, Republican National Committee members, experts and others. Each subcommittee has also been asked to hold at least one open meeting at which interested parties may speak.
Schickel and committee co-chair Mary Mosiman will serve on a research work group, which will survey county chairs, central committee members, party activists and others.
The subcommittee chairs have been asked to draft preliminary recommendations by the May 30th meeting in Cedar Rapids. Comment will be solicited on the recommendations between the Cedar Rapids meeting and the June 25 Sioux City meeting.
The caucus process has been used since Iowa became a state in the 1840s. It came into prominence in 1976 when the little known Governor Jimmy Carter beat expectations, and went on to capture the White House.