This article in The New York Times explains how the Iowa caucuses leave many voters out of the process. People who have to work Thursday night or can’t get away from home won’t be able to participate in the first nominating contest in the nation. Even soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq will have no voice in who wins Iowa. If this sounds undemocratic to you, it should serve as a reminder that there is NO constitutional right to vote:

Legally the issue falls into a murky area. The Constitution promises no affirmative right to vote, just assurances that specific categories of people cannot be excluded. And because the parties do not collect demographic data, no one really knows who does and does not participate. Besides, since the caucuses are run not by government but instead privately by the parties, the courts are reluctant to intervene in all but the most egregious cases.

Read more about FairVote’s proposal to establish a constitutionally protected right to vote here .