Today's Brew previews Monday’s Iowa caucuses + highlights Wisconsin’s creation of an advisory commission for the state’s 2020 redistricting
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Welcome to the Monday, February 3, Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:

* Presidential nominating contests begin today with Iowa caucuses
* Wisconsin governor issues executive order creating an advisory redistricting commission
* 87 candidates are running for eight U.S. House seats in Maryland

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** PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING CONTESTS BEGIN TODAY WITH IOWA CAUCUSES
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Voters in Iowa will participate today in the first presidential nominating contest of the 2020 cycle—the Iowa caucuses.

A caucus is a political gathering in which party members choose candidates for an election. At a caucus, participants may debate about the candidates and the voting process itself may not be conducted by secret ballot. it is different from a primary in that caucus-goers may vote by raising hands or gathering in groups organized by their preferred candidate, rather than selecting their preferred candidate by secret ballot. Iowa is one of eight jurisdictions where one or both parties will use a caucus or convention—rather than a primary—to select delegates to the national nominating conventions.

Both party caucuses will be open, meaning participants do not have to already be registered members of either political party to participate. Eligible voters will meet at one of approximately 1,700 precinct locations to declare their preference for their party's nominee. The caucuses are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Voters must reside in the precinct in which they wish to participate, be registered to vote in Iowa, and be at least 18 years old on Nov. 3. State party officials reported that 171,000 Democrats and 182,000 Republicans participated in their party’s caucuses in 2016.

Democrats will award 41 delegates and Republicans will award 40. Both parties will allocate delegates to presidential candidates proportionally, though, among Democrats, if a candidate does not receive 15% support at a particular precinct, he or she will not be allocated delegates from that location. That candidate’s supporters will be given the opportunity to caucus for another candidate before the final vote is taken at that precinct. In the whole nomination process this year, there are 3,979 Democratic pledged delegates and 2,441 Republican ones.

The Iowa Democratic Party will release three sets of election results: the number of state delegate equivalents each candidate received, the first raw vote of caucusgoers, and the final raw vote that features only viable candidates who crossed the 15 percent threshold after caucusgoers realigned their votes.

IOWA HAS THE MOST PIVOT COUNTIES—THOSE THAT VOTED FOR BARACK OBAMA (D) IN 2008 AND 2012 AND DONALD TRUMP (R) IN 2016—OF ANY STATE, WITH 31. They constitute 15% of the 206 Pivot Counties nationwide.

Twenty-six percent of Iowans live in these 31 counties. Trump defeated Hillary Clinton (D) in the 2016 presidential election in Iowa, 51% to 42%. His margin of victory in the 31 Pivot Counties was 11.5%.
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** WISCONSIN GOVERNOR ISSUES EXECUTIVE ORDER CREATING ADVISORY REDISTRICTING COMMISSION
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Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D) signed an executive order ([link removed]) Jan. 27 creating an advisory redistricting commission that will prepare congressional and state legislative district maps for consideration by the state legislature in the coming redistricting cycle. THE LEGISLATURE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DRAFTING AND ADOPTING DISTRICT MAPS—BOTH OF WHICH ARE SUBJECT TO GUBERNATORIAL VETO—AND IS NOT REQUIRED TO ACCEPT THE COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS. Wisconsin is one of 37 states where the state legislature is responsible for redistricting.

Evers’ order mandated that members of the commission come from each of the state's congressional districts and barred elected, public, and political party officials and lobbyists from serving as commissioners. The order specified neither the number of commissioners nor the manner of appointment.

According to the order, the maps proposed by the commission “shall, whenever possible:

* Be free from partisan bias and partisan advantage;
* Avoid diluting or diminishing minority votes, including through the practices of 'packing' or 'cracking’;
* Be compact and contiguous;
* Avoid splitting wards and municipalities;
* Retain the core population in each district;
* Maintain traditional communities of interest; and
* Prevent voter disenfranchisement"

Upon completion of the 2020 census, congressional seats will be reapportioned to the states based on population. Complete data sets will be delivered to the states in early 2021, at which time they will redraw their congressional and state legislative district maps. WISCONSIN IS EXPECTED TO NEITHER GAIN NOR LOSE CONGRESSIONAL SEATS IN THE NEXT APPORTIONMENT.

Want to stay informed about election policy developments at the federal, state, and local levels? We have just the newsletter for you! The Ballot Bulletin ([link removed]) provides a free monthly summary of legislation and court decisions regarding electoral systems, redistricting, and voter provisions. Click here ([link removed]) to subscribe or read our previous editions.


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** 85 CANDIDATES ARE RUNNING FOR EIGHT U.S. HOUSE SEATS IN MARYLAND
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The filing period for candidates seeking to run in either the Democratic or Republican congressional primaries in Maryland ended on Jan. 24. Eighty-five candidates—47 Democrats and 38 Republicans—filed to run in the state’s eight U.S. House districts. The primaries for these races will be held Apr. 28. Unaffiliated and independent candidates have until Aug. 3 to file to run for the U.S. House in Maryland.

Seven incumbents—six Democrats and one Republican—are running for re-election. Maryland’s 7th Congressional District is currently vacant after Elijah Cummings (D) died on Oct. 17, 2019.

Two Court of Appeals and five Court of Special Appeals judges are also up for retention election in 2020. Maryland holds elections for state executive and legislative offices in non-presidential election years. The next statewide filing deadline is on Feb. 7 in Indiana.

THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARIES OF 2020 WILL TAKE PLACE TUESDAY—ON FEB. 4—IN THE SPECIAL ELECTION FOR MARYLAND'S 7TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. Twenty-four candidates are running in the Democratic primary and eight in the Republican primary. The winners of each party’s primary will meet in a special election April 28.

Read more about the special election in Maryland’s 7th District by clicking the link below.

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