Can big changes save the Iowa caucuses?

Welcome back to another busy week of Iowa politics! We're starting your Monday off with some caucus talk as Iowa Democrats continue their push to stay first-in-the-nation.

The Iowa Democratic Party submitted a formal application to the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee on Friday outlining proposed changes to its caucus process. The goal is to show they can adapt to be more inclusive, professional and transparent.

And let me tell you, the changes would be big.

For decades, Iowans have cast their support for their preferred presidential candidate on caucus night. Under the proposal, Iowa Democrats would instead open up a two- to three-week window where caucusgoers would fill out a "presidential preference card," much like an absentee ballot, and return it in the mail or at drop-off locations.

The party would contract with vendors or county election officials to tally the results, which they would announce on caucus night.

But, it all hinges on what the members of the Rules and Bylaws Committee think. They will consider applications from Iowa and 19 other states and territories as they decide which ones will make up the early voting window.

Read more from my interview with Iowa Democratic Party Chair Ross Wilburn here as I tried to drill into some of the details and the implications.

In the meantime, make sure you've got a plan to vote in tomorrow's primary elections if you haven't already done so. We've got plenty of resources online to help.

This has been Chief Politics Reporter Brianne Pfannenstiel, taking a deep breath before a busy primary day. Send me an email or give me a follow on Twitter, and make sure your fellow caucus nerds are subscribed to this newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Can big changes save the Iowa caucuses?