House File 308 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 308 BY COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 116) A BILL FOR An Act modifying certain duties of the county commissioner of 1 elections and voter registration deadlines. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1966HV (2) 85 aw/sc

H.F. 308 Section 1. Section 47.2, subsection 5, Code 2013, is amended 1 to read as follows: 2 5. The office of county auditor or county commissioner 3 of elections in each county shall be open for at least eight 4 hours on the Saturday preceding a general election, primary 5 election , and on the two Saturdays preceding a general election 6 or special election called by the governor for the purpose 7 of receiving absentee ballots and conducting other official 8 business relating to the election. 9 Sec. 2. Section 48A.9, subsection 1, Code 2013, is amended 10 to read as follows: 11 1. Registration closes at 5:00 p.m. eleven days before each 12 election except primary and general elections . For primary and 13 general elections, registration closes at 5:00 p.m. ten days 14 before the election. An eligible elector may register during 15 the time registration is closed in the elector’s precinct but 16 the registration shall not become effective until registration 17 opens again in the elector’s precinct, except as otherwise 18 provided in section 48A.7A . 19 Sec. 3. Section 48A.27, subsection 4, paragraph c, 20 subparagraph (2), Code 2013, is amended to read as follows: 21 (2) The notice shall contain a statement in substantially 22 the following form: 23 Information received from the United States postal service 24 indicates that you are no longer a resident of, and therefore 25 not eligible to vote in (name of county) County, Iowa. If this 26 information is not correct, and you still live in (name of 27 county) County, please complete and mail the attached postage 28 paid card at least ten days before the primary or general 29 election and at least eleven days before any other election at 30 which you wish to vote. If the information is correct and you 31 have moved, please contact a local official in your new area 32 for assistance in registering there. If you do not mail in 33 the card, you may be required to show identification before 34 being allowed to vote in (name of county) County. If you do not 35 -1- LSB 1966HV (2) 85 aw/sc 1/ 3

H.F. 308 return the card, and you do not vote in an election in (name 1 of county) County, Iowa, on or before (date of second general 2 election following the date of the notice) your name will be 3 removed from the list of voters in that county. 4 Sec. 4. Section 48A.29, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code 5 2013, is amended to read as follows: 6 b. The notice shall contain a statement in substantially the 7 following form: 8 Information received from the United States postal service 9 indicates that you are no longer a resident of (residence 10 address) in (name of county) County, Iowa. If this information 11 is not correct, and you still live in (name of county) County, 12 please complete and mail the attached postage paid card at 13 least ten days before the primary or general election and at 14 least eleven days before any other election at which you wish 15 to vote. If the information is correct, and you have moved, 16 please contact a local official in your new area for assistance 17 in registering there. If you do not mail in the card, you may 18 be required to show identification before being allowed to vote 19 in (name of county) County. If you do not return the card, and 20 you do not vote in some election in (name of county) County, 21 Iowa, on or before (date of second general election following 22 the date of the notice) your name will be removed from the list 23 of voters in that county. 24 Sec. 5. Section 48A.29, subsection 3, paragraph b, Code 25 2013, is amended to read as follows: 26 b. The notice shall contain a statement in substantially the 27 following form: 28 Information received by this office indicates that you are no 29 longer a resident of (residence address) in (name of county) 30 County, Iowa. If the information is not correct, and you still 31 live at that address, please complete and mail the attached 32 postage paid card at least ten days before the primary or 33 general election and at least eleven days before any other 34 election at which you wish to vote. If the information is 35 -2- LSB 1966HV (2) 85 aw/sc 2/ 3

H.F. 308 correct, and you have moved within the county, you may update 1 your registration by listing your new address on the card and 2 mailing it back. If you have moved outside the county, please 3 contact a local official in your new area for assistance in 4 registering there. If you do not mail in the card, you may be 5 required to show identification before being allowed to vote in 6 (name of county) County. If you do not return the card, and you 7 do not vote in some election in (name of county) County, Iowa, 8 on or before (date of second general election following the 9 date of the notice) your name will be removed from the list of 10 registered voters in that county. 11 EXPLANATION 12 This bill modifies certain duties of the county commissioner 13 of elections and voter registration deadlines. The bill 14 requires the office of a county commissioner of elections to be 15 open for at least eight hours on the two Saturdays preceding 16 a general election. Under current law the requirement only 17 extends to the Saturday before a general election. The bill 18 further requires that voter registration closes at 5:00 p.m. 19 11 days before all elections. The bill also makes conforming 20 changes. Current law requires that voter registration for 21 primary and general elections close at 5:00 p.m. 10 days before 22 those elections. 23 -3- LSB 1966HV (2) 85 aw/sc 3/ 3