The Iowa Caucuses are the first Presidential primary contest leading up to the 2020 election, but they ended in a confusing manner that some are labeling a disaster. The first official results were not shared until Tuesday at 4 p.m., long past the expected reporting time. The DNC is blaming a coding error in the app used to report precinct results and calculate the allocation of delegates for each candidate. Some are saying that precinct reporters were just downloading the app the day of and there was no official run-through or training for the app. The DNC set up a hotline as a back-up method of reporting votes, but they were inundated with calls and precinct captains were left on hold for several hours — some even went home before reporting because of all of the frustration.

The confusion led both Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg to declare victory before a significant portion of the votes were reported. Luckily, back-up paper ballots were used at each precinct and are being counted to confirm the winner and final delegate counts.

With 86% of precincts reporting, Pete Buttigieg is leading the race for state delegate equivalents in Iowa. Bernie Sanders is in a close second, followed by Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, and Amy Klobuchar. Buttigieg and Sanders currently each have eleven delegates, Warren has five, and all other candidates have zero.

This is a great showing for Buttigieg whose top tier finish may grant a poll bump leading into the next contest, the New Hampshire primary. His midwestern charm seems to have resonated with rural Iowa voters which propelled him to the top. This will also attract national attention and give his campaign some much-needed momentum to truly cement his status as a contender for the nomination.

The Iowa Caucuses were disastrous for Joe Biden, who until recently was leading polls both in Iowa and nationwide. He may wel face another defeat in New Hampshire and is already focusing on South Carolina. Biden is hoping that black voters in South Carolina will help him revive the Obama coalition and propel him to victory. Mike Bloomberg is hoping to capitalize on Biden's losses and take control in the centrist lane.

Iowa was the beginning of the end for many campaigns if they continue to underperform in future primaries. Candidates that may drop out soon are Michael Bennet, John Delaney, Tulsi Gabbard, and Deval Patrick.