Sarah Thompson has been anticipating the Iowa Caucuses since the beginning of the year. The morning of Caucus Day, she said she felt like something crazy would happen and was just expecting some yelling and high tensions.
She never could have predicted the insanity that happened.
The Iowa Caucuses on Feb. 3 featured several changes instituted by the Iowa Democratic Party, which resulted in unprecedented chaos and delayed results.
Thompson, an advertising and public relations major, drove from Lincoln to Ashworth Baptist church in West Des Moines after school. She was squeezed into a small room with 355 other people for two hours. She went as a captain for Bernie Sanders campaign and was disappointed when he was not the winner in her precinct.
“It was a twist in my heart,” Thompson said. “But it is what it is.”
Thompson knew that although Sanders did not win her precinct, he was still doing well in others based off messages from her friends in other precincts.
The application used to report the numbers experienced a major crash which ended in a major delay of the results. The crash of the application shed doubt in voters minds about who really won and gained national scrutiny.
“Iowans are proud of the caucuses,” Thompson said. “The IDP totally flopped.”
Despite the controversies and the issues, Thompson stands on the side of continuing to hold caucuses.
“It definitely takes longer, but it gets a better sense of the community than the silent ballot,” she said. “It gives a more holistic view of the community.”
