Iowa Democrats rule out letting people participate by Skype in Presidential caucus

Politico reports:

Iowa Democrats Friday explicitly ruled out allowing absentee ballots, proxies, letting people Skype into caucuses and having multiple caucuses through the day.

“Iowans did not want us to take any steps that would change what our caucuses are at their core,” said Democratic state party chairman Scott Brennan.

Instead, the party is calling on the state legislature to pass a law requiring employers to let non-essential workers take time off to attend their precinct caucus. This would require the uncertain bipartisan backing of Republicans.

A full-time employee at the Iowa Democratic Party will also be hired to focus on making the 1,700 precinct-level gatherings more accessible, whether for the handicapped or by arranging for better child care.

The likely reason for this resistance to measures to raise turnout from a party usually keen on the very same?

Hillary Clinton:

As she moves toward a likely 2016 presidential campaign, one of the biggest decisions that Clinton must make is how hard to compete in the caucuses that kick off the nominating process. They tend to draw a more ideological, motivated set of base voters. A higher turnout would favor the better-known, better-funded former secretary of State, senator and first lady.

But attitudes towards the military may yet trump attitudes towards her when it comes to one turnout raising measure in particular:

Democratic officials will also meet with the Department of Defense about the feasibility of a tele-caucus so that Iowans stationed overseas can participate.