News
Brown Bags and Ballots: Viral Videos Capture Chaotic Iowa Caucus System
Republican caucusgoers in Iowa tossed their ballots for their choice of GOP presidential nominee into supermarket brown paper bags Tuesday night in chaotic scenes captured on video. In one, caucusgoers walk up and toss their ballots into a HyVee Supermarket bag, in another the brown bag is passed around. In both videos the word “ballots” is written in magic marker at the top of the bag. Critics are calling out the possibility of fraud and claiming hypocrisy by the party that says it is focused on election integrity.
“Voters jotted their candidate on sheet of paper before they were all collected in a brown grocery bag,” notes WFAA senior reporter Jason Whitely in this video that has received over half-a-million views.
CANDIDATE SPEECHES over at this site for the #IowaCaucus in West Des Moines. Voters jotted their candidate on sheet of paper before they were all collected in a brown grocery bag. pic.twitter.com/oP4QcauK99
— Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) January 16, 2024
“Weird how this crowd – that is notoriously suspicious of improper voting procedures – is cool with this method and know one seems to be questioning the outcome,” wrote Brian Hastert, who hosts the Local Selection podcast about state and municipal elections and governance.
READ MORE: Trump Again Appears to Defame E. Jean Carroll as Penalty Phase of Trial Begins: Expert
Some critics online mocked the process, with one asking, “So how did Republicans maintain election security here, did they double bag it?”
WISN political director Matt Smith posted this video, which now has 4.7 million views, showing Iowa caucusgoers walking up to a man in a red vest, also with a HyVee Supermarket brown paper bag, and tossing in their ballots.
Iowans voting, writing their candidate’s name on a piece of paper, throwing it into the paper bag to be tallied pic.twitter.com/aOiEZY7xHl
— Matt Smith (@mattsmith_news) January 16, 2024
“This is how the greatest country on earth elects the most powerful person in the world? High school student government elections are more sophisticated than this,” wrote one critic online. Another called it, “the old ‘write a name on a piece of paper and put it in a grocery bag’ method that wouldn’t fly in a 2nd grade vote for lunch line monitor.”
On its website the Republican Party of Iowa informs caucusgoers, “If you are not a registered voter or a registered Republican, that’s okay! Just be prepared to register in-person at your caucus location on caucus night!”
“Remember to bring a valid form of ID with you on Caucus night,” they add.
Watch the videos above or at this link.
READ MORE: ‘Staggering Refusal to Govern’: Johnson Sparks Outcry for Tying Any Border Fix to a Trump Win
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.