The announcement of the caucus outcome was delayed on Monday night "due to quality checks," Iowa Democratic Party Communications Director Mandy McClure said.

We found inconsistencies in the reporting of three sets of results. In addition to the tech systems being used to tabulate results, we are also using photos of results and a paper trail to validate that all results match and ensure that we have confidence and accuracy in the numbers we report.

On top of that, there were multiple reports suggesting that precinct chairs had problems using the new app designed to help tabulate and report the result. This added to confusion and frustration online, particularly among the supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders, who some polls showed as a frontrunner.

"Nobody is gonna believe the results when they eventually come out now," the host of the left-leaning Secular Talk YouTube and radio show, Kyle Kulinski, tweeted. 

The delay in reporting the results spurred speculation that local Democratic officials may be 'stealing' the victory from Sanders. "In other words they need to sway it away from Bernie somehow," one person wrote.

The whole situation also invited mockery and a flurry of jokes about Russia somehow rigging the caucus. "Bet y'all wish you had some Russian bots to help calculate those results a little faster," a commenter quipped.

Another suggested that "at least the Iowa caucus is so absurdly confusing that there's no way Russia can hack it."

Even CNN host Van Jones admitted that what went down in Iowa was "a real debacle."

"The idea of the caucus itself has failed to meet the viability threshold... You only have one job, Iowa," he said.