House Study Bill 500
HOUSE FILE
BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
STATE GOVERNMENT BILL BY
CHAIRPERSON ELGIN)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to maintenance of a voter registration system
2 separate from the state voter registration system and
3 providing an effective date.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 5680HC 81
6 sc/je/5
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 47.7, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code
1 2 Supplement 2005, is amended to read as follows:
1 3 b. On or after January 1, 2006 2007, a county shall not
1 4 establish or maintain a voter registration system separate
1 5 from the state voter registration system. Each county shall
1 6 provide to the state registrar the names, voter registration
1 7 information, and voting history of each registered voter in
1 8 the county in the form required by the state registrar.
1 9 Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of
1 10 immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
1 11 EXPLANATION
1 12 The federal Help America Vote Act required each state, on
1 13 or before January 1, 2006, to create, maintain, and administer
1 14 a single, centralized voter registration computerized file
1 15 that contains the name and registration information of every
1 16 legally registered voter in the state. Voter registration
1 17 lists generated by this computerized file are to be the
1 18 official lists for purposes of conducting elections in the
1 19 state. In implementing this requirement, state law provides
1 20 for the state voter registration system to be in place by
1 21 January 1, 2006, and also provides that, on or after January
1 22 1, 2006, a county shall not establish or maintain a voter
1 23 registration system separate from the state voter registration
1 24 system. This bill extends to January 1, 2007, the time for
1 25 this separate system prohibition to be in effect.
1 26 The bill takes effect upon enactment.
1 27 LSB 5680HC 81
1 28 sc:rj/je/5