House Study Bill 138
HOUSE FILE
BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON
STATE GOVERNMENT BILL
BY CHAIRPERSON MASCHER)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the time of opening the polls for certain city
2 elections.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
4 TLSB 2014HC 83
5 sc/nh/8
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. Section 49.73, subsection 1, Code 2009, is
1 2 amended to read as follows:
1 3 1. At all elections, except as otherwise permitted by this
1 4 section, the polls shall be opened at 7:00 a.m. if at least
1 5 one official from each of the political parties referred to in
1 6 section 49.13 is present. On the basis of voter turnout for
1 7 recent similar elections and factors considered likely to so
1 8 affect voter turnout for the forthcoming election as to
1 9 justify shortened voting hours for that election, the
1 10 commissioner may direct that the polls be opened at 12:00 noon
1 11 for:
1 12 a. Any school district election.
1 13 b. Any election conducted for a city of three thousand
1 14 five hundred or less population, including a local option
1 15 sales and services tax election conducted pursuant to section
1 16 423B.1. At elections conducted pursuant to chapter 423B, all
1 17 polling places shall have the same voting hours.
1 18 c. Any election conducted for a city of more than three
1 19 thousand five hundred population if there is no contest for
1 20 any office on the ballot and no public question is being
1 21 submitted to the voters at that election.
1 22 d. c. Any election conducted for a benefited district.
1 23 e. d. Any election conducted for the unincorporated area
1 24 of a county.
1 25 EXPLANATION
1 26 This bill allows the county commissioner of elections to
1 27 open the polls at noon rather than 7:00 a.m. for any city
1 28 election. Currently, the polls may open at noon for city
1 29 elections in cities with a population of 3,500 or less or in
1 30 any city if there is no contested election or no public
1 31 measure on the ballot.
1 32 LSB 2014HC 83
1 33 sc/nh/8