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| Sanders and Buttigieg nearly tied in Iowa amid new claims of counting errors | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Race remains too close to call with 97% of precincts reported, but contest marred by fresh allegations of inaccurate vote-counting | |
| Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders are nearly tied in the Iowa Democratic caucuses, with almost all results counted in a contest marred by fresh revelations about technical issues and reporting delays that have led to allegations of inaccurate results. | |
| The race remained too early to call Thursday, with 97% of precincts reporting. Party officials were 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 Donald Trump in November. | The race remained too early to call Thursday, with 97% of precincts reporting. Party officials were 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 Donald Trump in November. |
| With just a few votes left, Buttigieg led Sanders in the tally of state delegate equivalents by 26.22% to 26.07%. Meanwhile, Sanders leads Buttigieg in the two raw votes tallies that the complex Iowa caucus system produces. | With just a few votes left, Buttigieg led Sanders in the tally of state delegate equivalents by 26.22% to 26.07%. Meanwhile, Sanders leads Buttigieg in the two raw votes tallies that the complex Iowa caucus system produces. |
| A new batch of results released just after midnight narrowed the margin between Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Sanders, the progressive senator from Vermont. Buttigieg has a lead of three state delegate equivalents out of 2,098 counted. | A new batch of results released just after midnight narrowed the margin between Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Sanders, the progressive senator from Vermont. Buttigieg has a lead of three state delegate equivalents out of 2,098 counted. |
| However, the controversies that have dogged the vote since results tallying problems emerged almost as soon as polls closed continued on Thursday. The New York Times reported that one tranche of results released by the state Democratic party on Wednesday were “riddled with inconsistencies and other flaws”. | |
| The paper said that its own reporting showed that: “In some cases, vote tallies do not add up. In others, precincts are shown allotting the wrong number of delegates to certain candidates. And in at least a few cases, the Iowa Democratic party’s reported results do not match those reported by the precincts.” | |
| The deadlocked contest gives both Buttigieg and Sanders a burst of momentum as they seek to pull away from the crowded field. The nearly complete results show them leading Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, with former vice-president Joe Biden and senator Amy Klobuchar trailing. | The deadlocked contest gives both Buttigieg and Sanders a burst of momentum as they seek to pull away from the crowded field. The nearly complete results show them leading Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, with former vice-president Joe Biden and senator Amy Klobuchar trailing. |
| But the results in Iowa were muddied by the stunning breakdown of the caucus reporting process in a state that traditionally kicks off presidential nominating contests. Iowa officials initially attributed a delay in reporting results to technical problems with an app that precinct chairs were supposed to use to record votes, then to backlogs as those volunteers tried to call the party to submit their totals. | But the results in Iowa were muddied by the stunning breakdown of the caucus reporting process in a state that traditionally kicks off presidential nominating contests. Iowa officials initially attributed a delay in reporting results to technical problems with an app that precinct chairs were supposed to use to record votes, then to backlogs as those volunteers tried to call the party to submit their totals. |
| Much of the political world has already shifted its attention to next-up New Hampshire, which holds the first primary election in the Democrats’ 2020 nomination fight on Tuesday. | Much of the political world has already shifted its attention to next-up New Hampshire, which holds the first primary election in the Democrats’ 2020 nomination fight on Tuesday. |
| Buttigieg and Sanders are separated by 40 years in age and conflicting ideology. | Buttigieg and Sanders are separated by 40 years in age and conflicting ideology. |
| Sanders, a 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist, has been a progressive powerhouse for decades. Buttigieg, a 38-year-old former municipal official, represents the more moderate wing of the Democratic party. Buttigieg is also the first openly gay candidate to earn presidential primary delegates. | Sanders, a 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist, has been a progressive powerhouse for decades. Buttigieg, a 38-year-old former municipal official, represents the more moderate wing of the Democratic party. Buttigieg is also the first openly gay candidate to earn presidential primary delegates. |
| Sanders and his supporters raised issues with the primary process after the 2016 election, prompting the Democratic National Committee to make changes that affected the Iowa reporting regulations. | |
| As a result, Iowa released three sets of data from the caucuses: the tally of voter preferences at the start of the caucus; their preferences after supporters of candidates who reached less than 15% made a second choice; and the results of state delegate equivalents. | As a result, Iowa released three sets of data from the caucuses: the tally of voter preferences at the start of the caucus; their preferences after supporters of candidates who reached less than 15% made a second choice; and the results of state delegate equivalents. |
| The final alignment results are used to determine state delegate equivalents, which is the metric the AP has long used to call the winner of the caucus. Democrats pick their nominee based on delegate totals. | The final alignment results are used to determine state delegate equivalents, which is the metric the AP has long used to call the winner of the caucus. Democrats pick their nominee based on delegate totals. |
| With 97% of precincts reporting, Sanders is leading in the first alignment results and has a narrower edge in the final alignment. | With 97% of precincts reporting, Sanders is leading in the first alignment results and has a narrower edge in the final alignment. |
| Associated Press contributed to this report | Associated Press contributed to this report |