County Dems In Iowa Having Trouble Finding Temporary Caucus Chairs (Update)

Update: this isn't so bad.... 23 positions out of 183 are unfilled two and a half weeks after the date changed.... that's actually a pretty solid rate of recruitment.

An e-mail sent out by the chair of the Polk. Co. Iowa Democrats suggests that some county Democratic parties are having trouble finding so-called "temporary caucus chairs" for the Jan. 3. precinct caucus.

The "temporary" in their name is misleading -- these folks are tasked with nine separate duties before they supervise the election of the precinct's "permanent chair," who conducts the actual caucus.

Without skilled hands in the "temporary caucus chair" position, a caucus meeting could quickly become chaotic.

Democratic presidential campaigns are busy recruiting their own precinct captains and their preferred candidates for permanent chairs, so the task of finding knowledgable enough, fair enough, and gregarious enough Iowa Democrats to serve as the temporary caucus chairs is left to the ostensibly non-partisan county parties.

An e-mail by the Polk. Co. Dem chair to activists shows that 23 temporary caucus chair positions are are currently unfilled. The subject line of the e-mail: "Caucuses are only 44 days away and I need your help!"

ALTOONA 1

ANKENY 3

ANKENY 10

BONDURANT 1

DES MOINES 13

DES MOINES 15

DES MOINES 24

DES MOINES 34

DES MOINES 36

DES MOINES 50

DES MOINES 58

DES MOINES 62

DES MOINES 77

DES MOINES 78

DES MOINES 79

DES MOINES 83

DES MOINES 94

DES MOINES 96

DES MOINES 97

DES MOINES 101

FRANKLIN 1

GRIMES 1

JEFFERSON 1

PLEASANT HILL 3

SHELDAHL 1 UNION

URBANDALE 1

URBANDALE 9

URBANDALE 11

WEBSTER 1

WEST DES MOINES 113

WEST DES MOINES 213