House File 2145 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2145 BY MASCHER (COMPANION TO SF 2001 BY GRONSTAL) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the age at which a registered voter is 1 eligible to vote in a primary election. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5091YH (2) 86 aw/sc

H.F. 2145 Section 1. Section 48A.5, subsection 2, paragraph c, Code 1 2016, is amended to read as follows: 2 c. (1) Be at least eighteen years of age. However, 3 for purposes of voting in a primary election, an eligible 4 elector shall be at least eighteen years of age on the date 5 of the general election. Completed registration forms shall 6 be accepted from registrants who are at least seventeen and 7 one-half years of age ; however, . For an election other than a 8 primary election, the registration shall not be effective until 9 the registrant reaches the age of eighteen. The commissioner 10 of registration shall ensure that the birth date shown on the 11 registration form is at least seventeen and one-half years 12 earlier than the date the registration is processed. 13 (2) A For an election other than a primary election, a 14 registrant who is at least seventeen and one-half years of age 15 and who will be eighteen by the date of a pending election is 16 a registered voter for the pending election for purposes of 17 chapter 53 . For purposes of voting in a primary election under 18 chapter 53, a registrant who will be at least eighteen years of 19 age by the date of the general election is a registered voter 20 for the pending primary election. 21 Sec. 2. Section 48A.11, subsection 3, Code 2016, is amended 22 to read as follows: 23 3. The following questions and statement regarding 24 eligibility shall be included on forms that may be used for 25 registration by mail: 26 [1] “Are you a citizen of the United States of America?” 27 [2] “Will you be eighteen years of age on or before election 28 day?” 29 [3] “If you checked ‘no’ in response to either of these 30 questions, do not complete this form. However, for purposes 31 of voting in a primary election, you may complete this form if 32 you are a citizen of the United States of America and you will 33 be at least eighteen years of age on the date of the general 34 election. ” 35 -1- LSB 5091YH (2) 86 aw/sc 1/ 3

H.F. 2145 Sec. 3. Section 48A.26, subsection 9, Code 2016, is amended 1 to read as follows: 2 9. When a person who is at least seventeen and one-half 3 years of age but less than eighteen years of age registers 4 to vote, the commissioner shall maintain a record of the 5 registration so as to clearly indicate that it will not take 6 effect until the registrant’s eighteenth birthday and that the 7 person is registered and qualifies to vote at any election 8 held on or after that date. However, for purposes of voting 9 in a primary election, the registration shall take effect 10 immediately if the person will be at least eighteen years of 11 age on the date of the general election. 12 Sec. 4. Section 49.79, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code 2016, 13 is amended to read as follows: 14 b. The For an election other than a primary election, the 15 challenged person is less than eighteen years of age as of the 16 date of the election at which the person is offering to vote. 17 For a primary election, the challenged person will be less than 18 eighteen years of age on the date of the general election. 19 Sec. 5. Section 49.81, subsection 4, paragraph a, Code 2016, 20 is amended to read as follows: 21 a. (1) The individual envelopes used for each provisional 22 ballot cast pursuant to subsection 1 shall have space for the 23 voter’s name, date of birth, and address and shall have printed 24 on them the following: 25 I am a United States citizen, at least eighteen years of age 26 or, for purposes of voting in the primary election, I will 27 be at least eighteen years of age on the date of the general 28 election . I believe I am a registered voter of this county and 29 I am eligible to vote in this election. 30 ............. 31 (signature of voter) (date) 32 (2) The following information is to be provided by the 33 precinct election official: 34 Reason for casting provisional ballot: 35 -2- LSB 5091YH (2) 86 aw/sc 2/ 3

H.F. 2145 ................ . 1 ................ . 2 .......... . 3 (signature of precinct 4 election official) 5 EXPLANATION 6 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 7 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 8 This bill allows a registered voter who is not 18 years of 9 age to vote in a primary election if the voter will be at least 10 18 years of age on the date of the general election. Current 11 law allows an eligible elector who is at least 17 and one-half 12 years of age to register to vote, but, except for purposes of 13 requesting and voting an absentee ballot, the registration does 14 not become effective until the registrant turns 18 years of 15 age. 16 -3- LSB 5091YH (2) 86 aw/sc 3/ 3