“Various candidates and groups were handing out stacks of free tickets. Nobody had to buy their own.”
In what numbers? Do you know or have any idea of how many were given out and to whom? Not asking to be a smat alec, more to get some sort of feel for what happened there.
And the Iowa poll does limit participation, so that would seem to bolster my “New People involved” idea.
I am just reporting my own observation. I had 3 different campaigns offer me free tickets. I saw stacks of them being passed around.
You did have to show your ID to prove you were an Iowan but did not have to prove that you were a Republican.