Iowans Vote First, If They Can Vote at All

Sonya Sayers, a 56-year-old Democrat from Des Moines, Iowa, has encouraged her friends to vote in every caucus and general election for as long as she can remember. But she hasn’t always done so herself. Back in 2016, when she worked the late shift at a local fast-food restaurant, Sayers often didn’t get off until midnight, long after the caucus was over. She doesn’t work nights anymore, but she’s still not sure she’ll make it to the caucus this coming February.

“I can’t afford a car,” Sayers told me, with a resigned laugh. “And the [voting site] near my house is not on the bus line.”

The Iowacaucus has for being inaccessible to a large swath of voters, including those with disabilities or inflexible work schedules. In September, the Iowa Democratic Party proposed