Image copyright
Reuters
The state’s Democratic party said it was still counting the votes
Results from Iowa’s caucuses, the first vote in the race to pick a Democratic White House candidate, have been plunged into chaos by apparent technology issues.
The state’s Democratic party said it had found “inconsistencies”.
But they stressed the unprecedented holdup was a “reporting issue” and not because of a “hack or an intrusion”.
Voters flocked to over 1,600 schools, libraries and churches across 99 counties on Monday to pick candidates.
The candidates are vying to win the opening contest of the 2020 White House campaign and become the Democratic nominee who will face President Donald Trump, a Republican, in the 3 November election.
The front-runners of the 11 remaining contenders are Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, former US Vice-President Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar.
Amid the delay, party officials held a call with the rival campaigns.
Party spokesperson Mandy McClure said: “The integrity of the results is paramount. We have experienced a delay in the results due to quality checks and the fact that the IDP [Iowa Democratic Party] is reporting out three data sets for the first time.”
Tom Courtney, the Democratic chairman of Des Moines county, blamed technology issues in his county.
He said an app created for caucus organisers to report their results had malfunctioned, leaving precinct officials to call in the outcome to state party headquarters, whose phone lines swiftly became jammed.
Mr Trump’s campaign immediately sought to capitalise on the debacle.
Trump 2020 manager Brad Parscale said in a statement: “Democrats are stewing in a caucus mess of their own creation with the sloppiest train wreck in history.
“It would be natural for people to doubt the fairness of the process,” he added.
However, there was no indication the delay in the Democratic results was caused by anything other than human or technical error.
Republicans also held Iowa caucuses on Monday, and as predicted Mr Trump, who enjoys around 90% support in his party, rolled over his two little-known challengers.