Understanding Realignment Second round is Sudden Death

[judeling]

There is a deeply embedded narrative about the Iowa caucus that is flat out wrong.
The first round does not eliminate a candidate.

(6) Only members of groups that are declared not viable shall be given sufficient time, but no less than 15 minutes, to realign with a viable preference group or to realign with other nonviable group members to form a viable preference group. Only one (1) round of realignment is allowed. Fig. 1, on the next page, shows sample calculations to determine the viability threshold for a caucus.

a) Members of groups that are declared viable may not realign.

b) Once a group has been declared viable, that group’s relative strength cannot decrease, regardless of the number of members who remain present throughout the rest of the caucus business.

bolding is mine.

Because this misinformation of the first round elimination narrative is so embedded now and reinforced almost constantly when the rules are discussed, the in person organizational strength of a campaign will play a big part in the final outcome. As will the firmness of candidate support.

[squirecam]

1. As a NV voter

I hated the caucus.

They are the least democratic way of doing things. You can’t force older voters or people who need to work to stay for hours.

Primaries + early voting or mail-in is the most democratic determination of voter choice.

Nevada at least now allows for early voting.

https://nvdems.com/2020-caucus/

[dem4decades]

2. I'm so sick of Iowa and New Hampshire for that matter.

[The Valley Below]

3. So what you are saying is that if Candidates X and Z are not viable in the first round,

their followers (and any other supporters of non-viable candidates) would still have 15 minutes to realign, and that could potentially save Candidate X or Candidate Z (for example)?

Supporters of first round "viable" candidates, in contrast, can not realign to "save" candidates who were not viable in the first round.

Do I have that right?

What happens if the 15 minutes runs out and an unduly optimistic supporter finds his or her choice still lacks viability? Do they get time after the 15 minutes to have a second round choice?

[judeling]

4. At least 15 minutes

otherwise exactly correct.

They can also choose not to realign at all and stay in the preference group that will count when the second round count is reported but not with the delegates allocated.

How the campaigns approach their caucus strategy will be interesting with the three different numbers being reported.
But what I wanted to get through is to have people temper their expectations of allocation.

[The Valley Below]

5. Do people get the equivalent of a "last call" so they can choose to realign at the last moment if

their candidate falls short?

Thanks for the explanations.

I'm wishing Amy well in Iowa. I'd love seeing her on the ticket.

[judeling]

6. Nothing in the Rules

But reading them it appears so. That it allows more then 15 minutes that reads as "as required" so an Are you all done now seems reasonable.

I'm wishing everyone well. Thanks