WHAT TO DO IN IOWA:
1) Check that the number of people who vote does not exceed the number of people who attend the caucus;
2) Check that the number of votes counted does not exceed the number of people who voted;
3) Use your cell phone to capture a photo or video of the local caucus result, as evidence. It doesn’t matter what you say happened; only a photo or video matters. Compare this with the state party’s report of your local caucus report to make sure it’s the same.
4) Make sure the state party promptly provides the result of each local caucus together with the total.
5) Check that the sum of all the local caucuses adds up to the total reported by the state party.
In Iowa, a little cooperation from the state committee, a reasonable amount of vigilance from the caucus attendees and the campaigns, and you’ve got a transparent process. Not so in New Hampshire, at least, as of this writing. Stay tuned…
To be clear about this, insisting on transparency is a necessary and patriotic element of running any public election, and ridiculing public citizens who examine transparency is kind of embarrassing. For the reporter. Not the citizens.
