It’s not a sexy party

By: Emma Greenberg

Picture a room filled with nothing but white boxes. Now, multiply that by ten. It’s been my office for the last two days. When I began working for the Iowa Democratic Party, I was told that I was not going to be doing the “sexy work.” I took this to mean that I wasn’t going to be the one shaking the candidates hands and welcoming them to the great Hawkeye State. I did not take this to mean that I was going to be packing box after box for the Iowa caucus, which includes over 1,600 precincts. Despite the constant struggle of avoiding paper cuts, and packing box after box for hours on end, I have been able to see the rewards of my labor and have learned a lot about the Iowa caucus throughout the process.

I originally came to Iowa having a very vague understanding of how the caucus works. I, however, have learned a lot since. I never really understood just how much work goes into the caucus. Before people can even show up to the high school gym or their local barn to scream the names of their favorite candidates hoping to be viable, there is first a lot of work. Beyond just the boxes that need to be packed, there is an incredible amount of organization that must be completed. There are 99 counties in Iowa. Each county contains a different and varied number of precincts. Each precinct needs to be equipped with all the materials needed to run a caucus as well as people properly trained on the ins-and-outs of the caucus. People who can deal with the confusion of the grassroots democracy that is about to take place in 24 days. 

One thing I never even thought to consider was what happened to the people who were not in the Hawkeye State on February 3rd. However, I have since learned that they hold satellite caucuses throughout the United States and even globally. There will be satellite causes held in Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Scotland, Paris, and even outside of Jordan! The combination of all the caucuses will be counted as a 100th district in Iowa. After learning this, it was easy to reflect on how Iowa and the caucus goes way beyond the state alone. It is a global movement, and one that changed my perspective on the caucus. The fact that one can leave the country but still be part of the groundwork of state democracy shows just how globally connected this world is. One does not need to leave the country to expand their global experience (this is a shameless plug for @ElonGlobal, but really they are the best.) 

Despite the knowledge that I have to wake up early on a Saturday to go pack boxes for the third day in a row, I am not upset. I know my work, while not glamorous or sexy, plays a big role in the democratic process. Each day, I am surrounded by the papers that the citizens of Iowa will fill out to see how many delegates they elect each candidate. The results of this are major. The power is really in the hands of the people. So while it might be easier to simply go and cast a ballot like most primaries do – the caucus allows for one to interact with their neighbors, to have their voice heard, and to be apart of making history. To me, the work might not be sexy, but it is worth it.