100 signatures reached
To: National Democratic Party
Move the first primary election to a more diverse state
At 90.6 percent white, Iowa is less ethnically diverse than other states. Holding the first primary in the sixth whitest state asks a relatively homogeneous group of people to decide who stays in the race. The country looks to the first primary to inform other primaries to come, and Iowa does not represent the diversity of our nation. It is time for another state to vote first.
Why is this important?
As an Iowan, I have enjoyed the privilege of being the first test for presidential candidates. Now, it is time for a more diverse state to take on the challenge.
The United States has become more diverse since Iowa became first in the nation in 1972, and the Democratic Party has hailed itself as the party of diversity. We must hold a nominating contest that embraces and reflects that diversity.
Those who defend Iowa’s first-in-the-nation status argue that Iowans are educated voters who ask hard questions. They point out that candidates visit our rural communities, small businesses, and farms. But vetting candidates is not an innate talent; it is a skill. Farms and small businesses exist across the country. Inevitably, these same things would come to happen in Michigan or Pennsylvania if they went first.
I am proud to have served as a precinct chair this year. The caucuses are a wonder to behold. Attendees can go in with a strong preference for one candidate and find themselves aligned with another after talking with their friends and neighbors. But the unfortunate reality is that caucuses are not accessible to everyone — particularly individuals with disabilities, shift workers, parents of young children, and the elderly. In Iowa, people of color are significantly more likely to encounter the obstacles to participation that make the caucuses so inaccessible. This means that our most marginalized communities are further marginalized by the voting process.
We must move the first primary contest to a state where a more diverse set of people with diverging perspectives can vet the candidates.
The United States has become more diverse since Iowa became first in the nation in 1972, and the Democratic Party has hailed itself as the party of diversity. We must hold a nominating contest that embraces and reflects that diversity.
Those who defend Iowa’s first-in-the-nation status argue that Iowans are educated voters who ask hard questions. They point out that candidates visit our rural communities, small businesses, and farms. But vetting candidates is not an innate talent; it is a skill. Farms and small businesses exist across the country. Inevitably, these same things would come to happen in Michigan or Pennsylvania if they went first.
I am proud to have served as a precinct chair this year. The caucuses are a wonder to behold. Attendees can go in with a strong preference for one candidate and find themselves aligned with another after talking with their friends and neighbors. But the unfortunate reality is that caucuses are not accessible to everyone — particularly individuals with disabilities, shift workers, parents of young children, and the elderly. In Iowa, people of color are significantly more likely to encounter the obstacles to participation that make the caucuses so inaccessible. This means that our most marginalized communities are further marginalized by the voting process.
We must move the first primary contest to a state where a more diverse set of people with diverging perspectives can vet the candidates.