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IPFS News Link • Politics

Sometimes, Iowa Democrats award caucus delegates with a coin flip

• http://www.desmoinesregister.com

In a handful of Democratic caucus precincts Monday, a delegate was awarded with a coin toss.

It happened in precinct 2-4 in Ames, where supporters of candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton disputed the results after 60 caucus participants apparently disappeared from the proceedings.

As a result of the coin toss, Clinton was awarded an additional delegate, meaning she took five of the precinct's eight, while Sanders received three.

Here's what happened, according to David Schweingruber, an associate professor of sociology at Iowa State University (and Sanders supporter) who participated in the caucus:

A total of 484 eligible caucus attendees were initially recorded at the site. But when each candidate's preference group was counted, Clinton had 240 supporters, Sanders had 179 and Martin O'Malley had five (causing him to be declared non-viable).


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