House File 595 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY SWAIM
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to political party affiliation of candidates for
2 city elective office.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 2432HH 82
5 sc/je/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 49.31, subsection 3, Code 2007, is
1 2 amended to read as follows:
1 3 3. The ballots for any city elections, school elections,
1 4 special election, or any other election at which any office is
1 5 to be filled on a nonpartisan basis and the statutes governing
1 6 the office to be filled are silent as to the arrangement of
1 7 names on the ballot, shall contain the names of all nominees
1 8 or candidates arranged in alphabetical order by surname under
1 9 the heading of the office to be filled. When a city election,
1 10 school election, special election, or any other election at
1 11 which an office is to be filled on a nonpartisan basis, is
1 12 held in more than one precinct, the candidates' names shall be
1 13 rotated on the ballot from precinct to precinct in the manner
1 14 prescribed by subsection 2 unless there are no more candidates
1 15 for an office than the number of persons to be elected to that
1 16 office. For any city election, the political party
1 17 affiliation, if any, of each candidate for elective city
1 18 office shall be listed after or below each candidate's name.
1 19 Sec. 2. Section 376.4, unnumbered paragraph 4, Code 2007,
1 20 is amended to read as follows:
1 21 The petition must include the affidavit of the individual
1 22 for whom it is filed, stating the individual's name, the
1 23 individual's residence, the individual's political party
1 24 affiliation, if any, that the individual is a candidate and
1 25 eligible for the office, and that if elected the individual
1 26 will qualify for the office. The affidavit shall also state
1 27 that the candidate is aware that the candidate is disqualified
1 28 from holding office if the candidate has been convicted of a
1 29 felony or other infamous crime and the candidate's rights have
1 30 not been restored by the governor or by the president of the
1 31 United States.
1 32 Sec. 3. Section 376.5, Code 2007, is amended to read as
1 33 follows:
1 34 376.5 PUBLICATION OF BALLOT.
1 35 Notice containing a copy of the ballot for each regular,
2 1 special, primary, or runoff city election must be published by
2 2 the county commissioner of elections as provided in section
2 3 362.3, except that notice of a regular, primary, or runoff
2 4 election may be published not less than four days before the
2 5 date of the election. The published ballot must contain the
2 6 names of all candidates, and may not contain any party
2 7 designations. The published ballot must contain any question
2 8 to be submitted to the voters.
2 9 EXPLANATION
2 10 This bill requires that the political party affiliation, if
2 11 any, of all candidates for city elective office be listed
2 12 after or below the candidate's name on the ballot. The bill
2 13 also requires a candidate for elective city office to indicate
2 14 political party affiliation on the affidavit of candidacy.
2 15 Current law requiring nomination by petition is retained.
2 16 LSB 2432HH 82
2 17 sc:rj/je/5