[Robert A Cook PE]

And this reversal of the first 50% of votes "reported" backs up what (our) general instinctive reaction was the past day - after they refused to release the results Monday night:
ButtG will be given the early total so Sanders could not claim a victory (because an actual victory in IA would help Sanders in NH before the NH votes!), and Biden will be propped up above 15% for as many hours as possible so he will not look like the loser he actually is - again, until after the NH votes are cast for Biden.

[laconic]

Very insightful; interesting that by delaying the results and picking which ones to release on the day after, the Iowa Dems: 1) kept Biden above the magical 15 percent share; 2) push Buttigieg as the “winner”, at worst tied with Sanders; 3) focus on the tech glitch which many adults are familiar with. What they appear to have hid is a substantial win by Sanders in the popular vote, Biden falling under 15 percent and Butt’s “triumph” quite a bit diluted.