ISU Political Scientist: Iowa Caucus Always Been an Imperfect System

political science professor Steffen Schmidt said in a blog he shared with Patch and also posted on the Des Moines Register on Thursday that the Republican Party of Iowa's certified caucus results underscore what most of the nation knew early Jan. 4.

The Iowa Caucus isn't a perfect process.

“The miscount of 2012 Iowa caucus results which was reported today January 19, 2012 was known the day after the caucuses ended when a precinct had misreported the results for Romney as 22 votes when in fact there had only been 2 votes.

We know that some precincts never got their results in to the GOP headquarters. We know that there is no uniform and standardized way of voting in the many, many caucuses throughout the state,” Schmidt wrote.

It's reminiscent of the 2000 presidential election hanging chad controversy.

"When the vote is VERY close as in the Florida election for President in 2000 it becomes a HUGE issue. When the vote is squeaky close as it was in the 2012 Iowa Caucuses it becomes a big deal again,” Schmidt wrote.

The Iowa Caucus has always been an informal process but with all the media attention that will have to change, he said.

“There is no way to escape this. In 2012 you cannot have a loosy goosy election that could determine the President of the United States."