Iowa GOP cuts candidates’ straw poll costs

The Republican Party of Iowa is making changes to its famous straw poll.

{mosads}State party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said in an op-ed in Politico Magazine that the party was trying to make it less expensive for candidates to participate in the August event, when conservative activists pick a favored candidate.

“The Iowa Straw Poll is a tradition worth keeping and I’m proud that we have worked for months to reduce barriers to participation for both Iowans and our candidates,” Kaufmann said. “We wanted to get back to the basics, so we’ve pared down our expenses and passed the savings on to the candidates.”

Candidates will no longer have to bid, auction-style, for space at the straw poll site. Instead, spaces will be assigned at random and offered to campaigns free of charge.

“This removes the most significant cost barrier to participation and provides a candidate with an open space to make their case to Iowa voters,” Kaufmann said.

Candidates will also not be responsible for bringing food to the event, which Kaufmann described as “culinary brinksmanship.”

It was announced earlier this year that the poll is moving from its previous site in Ames, Iowa, to a new location in Boone that Kaufmann said Thursday was more accessible for handicapped attendees.

The event, a fundraiser for the state party first held in 1979, is a notable event in the lead-up to Iowa’s early presidential caucuses. Observers often read into the results of the poll as they look to understand who holds an advantage in the Hawkeye State.