DNC to recommend end to Iowa, Nevada virtual caucus plans over security concerns

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) will reportedly recommend throwing out plans to hold virtual, telephone-based caucuses in Iowa and Nevada, citing security concerns surrounding online registration. 

Sources told The Associated Press that the committee’s leadership opposes the plan, making it unlikely that the virtual caucuses will happen, but that the decision would be ultimately made by the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee.

{mosads}Two sources told the Des Moines Register that the DNC will reject Iowa’s virtual caucus plan after a committee meeting last week where members expressed concerns about election security and the possibility of hacking.

The state parties announced earlier this year that some voters would be able to vote over the phone in the February caucuses instead of going to neighborhood meetings in an attempt to increase participation.

Voters would need to register online in advance and would receive a PIN number to enter when they call in. They would also have to use multifactor authentication to confirm their identities. 

Iowa was slated to offer voters six opportunities to participate and Nevada was going to offer two days of voting over the phone. 

Rules and Bylaws Committee Chairman Jim Roosevelt told the AP that it had concerns over the online caucus plan, but would not rule out possibly finding another way for remote participation in the caucuses. 

He said that he expects in the next couple of days to schedule a phone meeting with the committee on possible next steps.

The Hill has reached out to the DNC for comment. 

The DNC was hacked in 2016 by Russian operatives and during the election cycle WikiLeaks published a number of hacked emails from the DNC and Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. 

One Democrat told the AP that representatives from presidential campaigns had also conveyed concerns over potential hacking.