House File 2016 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2016 BY HUNTER A BILL FOR An Act concerning the regulation of elections by establishing 1 requirements for election to public office, assessing 2 election costs to candidates, and affecting vote tabulations 3 for public referenda. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 5129YH (5) 87 ss/rj

H.F. 2016 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 39.28 Votes required for election. 1 1. A candidate for public office shall not be elected to the 2 office who has not received a number of votes equal to at least 3 half the number of registered voters eligible to cast a ballot 4 for the office. 5 2. If no candidate for a public office receives the number 6 of votes required for election pursuant to subsection 1, a 7 runoff election shall be held between the two candidates for 8 the office who received the highest number of votes. The 9 candidate who receives the highest number of votes in the 10 runoff election shall be elected. 11 Sec. 2. Section 47.3, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2018, are 12 amended to read as follows: 13 1. The costs of conducting a special election called by 14 the governor, general election, and the primary election held 15 prior to the general election shall be paid proportionally, 16 as determined by the state commissioner of elections, by the 17 county each candidate or candidate’s committee, as defined in 18 section 68A.102, included on the ballot . 19 2. The cost of conducting other elections shall be paid 20 by the political subdivision for which the election is held 21 each candidate or candidate’s committee, as defined in section 22 68A.102 . The costs shall include but not be limited to the 23 printing of the ballots and the election register, publication 24 of notices, printing of declaration of eligibility affidavits, 25 compensation for precinct election boards, canvass materials, 26 and the preparation and installation of voting equipment. The 27 county commissioner of elections shall certify to the county 28 board of supervisors a statement of cost for an election. The 29 cost shall be assessed proportionally by the county board of 30 supervisors against the political subdivision for which the 31 election was held each candidate or candidate’s committee, as 32 defined in section 68A.102, included on the ballot . 33 Sec. 3. Section 47.3, Code 2018, is amended by adding the 34 following new subsection: 35 -1- LSB 5129YH (5) 87 ss/rj 1/ 2

H.F. 2016 NEW SUBSECTION . 5. The costs of runoff elections shall be 1 paid by the candidates included on the ballot. 2 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 49A.12 Failure to vote tabulated as a 3 “no” vote. 4 When a public measure or constitutional amendment is 5 submitted to a general election pursuant to section 49A.4, a 6 constitutional amendment is submitted to a special election 7 pursuant to section 49A.5, or the question of holding a 8 constitutional convention is submitted to a general or special 9 election pursuant to Article X, section 3 of the Constitution 10 of the State of Iowa, a registered voter who does not cast 11 a ballot on the measure, amendment, or convention shall be 12 counted as having voted against the measure, amendment, or 13 convention. 14 EXPLANATION 15 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 16 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 17 This bill requires that a candidate for any public office 18 receive votes equal to at least half the number of registered 19 voters eligible to cast a ballot for that office in order to be 20 elected. If no candidate for an office meets this requirement, 21 the bill requires that a runoff election be held between the 22 two candidates who received the highest number of votes. 23 The bill requires candidates or their candidates’ committees 24 to pay the costs of administering any elections in which 25 they participate. Any runoff elections must be paid for 26 by the candidates personally. The bill also requires that 27 any registered voter who does not cast a ballot on a public 28 measure, constitutional amendment, or constitutional convention 29 be counted as having voted against that measure, amendment, or 30 convention. 31 -2- LSB 5129YH (5) 87 ss/rj 2/ 2