The First-in-Iowa American Sign Language Caucus (2020)
(NOTE: The Iowa Republican Caucus will be held on Monday, January 15, while the Democratic one will not have a caucus for selecting a presidential candidate this year.)
Four years ago, on February 2, 2020, the Iowa Democratic Party agreed to set up the first ASL (American Sign Language) caucus for registered Democrats who are Deaf and hard of hearing using ASL.
Importantly, before reading the below, you should study the video provided by Daily Moth. You can turn on CC on this video or read the transcript below for non-ASL users.
Then please look at the below post.
In the primary, Deaf and hard-of-hearing voters have seen more accessible than the one in the caucus. Sign up at the registration desk, take a ballot, enter the voting booth, close the booth curtain, vote on the ballot, open the curtain, drop the ballot into the secret voting box, and leave the polling site. Or they will vote by mail.
In the caucus, you must sit in an overcrowded room (see the photo below), listen to their discussion, speak your thoughts (if you have the gut), and then vote for your chosen candidate. No voting by mail is allowed.
The above video shows that Deaf ASL users felt more comfortable discussing and listening to their opinions/arguments.
2024 Iowa Caucuses
There will be no ASL caucus in both political parties this year.
Democratic Party: Because the Democratic National Committee changed the primary calendar, the Iowa Democratic Party decided to let their registered Democrats pick their preferred presidential candidate by mail, and the results will be released on March 5. They will mail out the ballot cards to voters on January 12. Then, the cards must be postmarked by March 5, known as Super Tuesday. However, the party will have precinct caucuses on January 15 to discuss other party business.
Republican Party: ASL Lecturer for the University of Iowa Robert “Bob” Vizzini reminded me yesterday that the Linn County Republican Party (covering Cedar Rapids) significantly changed the 2024 caucus. It no longer held a convention floor in the past, so it decided for each of the county’s 94 precincts to hold a caucus.
Peek at Linn County’s “Everything About Jan 15 2024 Caucus”
The unbelievable change caused Vizzini and the other 2 Deafies to attend at their 44th precinct. He emailed the GOP County Chair about the communication method for ASL users. The latter wrote, “I wish I could say we have all the communication resources available to accommodate various needs, but I cannot. There may be a signer in the group of attendees, but if not, we will do our best to help all participate fully.”
Think twice. Suppose this County Chair is required by the federal law, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to provide 94 interpreters for the deaf simultaneously. He would recruit interpreters from neighboring states. The cost of their fees and travel expenses could be very costly. The best solution for the County Political Party is to set up an ASL caucus.
Interesting Links:
Iowa Caucus in American Sign Language (Feb 2, 2020)
'We're here. We're voters. We want to participate’: Inside the first-in-the-state ASL caucus. (Feb 12, 2020)
Feeling caucus confusion? Your guide to how Iowa works. (Jan. 5, 2024)
2024 Iowa Caucus: How It Works and Who’s Expected to Win. (Jan. 15, 2024)
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