DES MOINES, the United States, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Results of Democratic caucuses in Iowa were delayed due to "quality checks," Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) Communications Director Mandy McClure said on Monday night.
"We have experienced a delay in the results due to quality checks," McClure said in a statement. "What we know right now is that around 25 percent of precincts have reported, and early data indicates turnout is on pace for 2016."
McClure noted that the IDP, for the first time, is reporting out three data sets: first preferences, final preferences, and "State Delegate Equivalents (SDEs)."
The SDEs will be used to determine how the state's national delegates are awarded to candidates.
McClure also said they "found inconsistencies in the reporting of three sets of results," adding that they are "simply a reporting issue."
"The app did not go down and this is not a hack or an intrusion. The underlying data and paper trail is sound and will simply take time to further report the results," she said.
Iowa, a state in the Midwestern United States, held Democratic and Republican caucuses Monday night, kicking off the 2020 U.S. presidential primary.
The caucuses brought tens of thousands of Iowa's registered voters to churches, public libraries, and school gyms for discussions of their presidential preferences.
Sitting President Donald Trump won the Republican caucuses, in which participants cast a vote to indicate their support, in a largely symbolic vote as he was facing no significant challenge.
"Big WIN for us in Iowa tonight. Thank you!" Trump tweeted.
The Democratic caucuses, however, require party members to show up to their precinct and physically move into designated parts of a room to express their preference for a certain candidate, a more complicated process would certainly cost more time.
Currently, there are 11 Democrats seeking the party's presidential nomination.
Some of them, including former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Amy Klobuchar, addressed supporters late Monday night despite the delay of the caucus results.
