IOWA, USA — Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is calling for a “recanvass” of the results of Monday's Iowa caucus. A recanvass would mean a complete review of the worksheets from each caucus site in order to ensure their accuracy. Technical problems and delays have marred the first contest on the 2020 election calendar.
The current results show Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders nearly tied with almost all the votes counted. But the race remained too early to call early Thursday, with 97% of precincts reporting.
Party officials are scrambling to verify the remaining results three days after Iowans gathered at caucus sites across the state to begin choosing which Democrat will take on President Donald Trump in November.
The Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) issued a statement Thursday afternoon that didn't directly respond to Perez's call for a recanvass but said if any presidential campaign requested one, the IDP is prepared.
"In such a circumstance, the IDP will audit the paper records of report, as provided by the precinct chairs and signed by representatives of presidential campaigns. This is the official record of the Iowa Democratic caucus, and we are committed to ensuring the results accurately reflect the preference of Iowans."
