House File 481 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 481 BY WHEELER A BILL FOR An Act relating to candidacy for partisan office, including 1 filing requirements for nominations of candidates and for 2 filling ballot vacancies. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 2324YH (3) 87 aw/jh/sc

H.F. 481 Section 1. Section 43.77, subsection 1, Code 2017, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 1. No person filed under section 43.11 as a candidate 3 for the party’s nomination for that office in the primary 4 election, or all All persons who filed under section 43.11 as 5 candidates for the party’s nomination for that office in the 6 primary election subsequently withdrew as candidates, were 7 found to lack the requisite qualifications for the office , or 8 died before the date of the primary election, and no candidate 9 received a sufficient number of write-in votes to be nominated. 10 Sec. 2. Section 44.4, subsection 1, Code 2017, is amended 11 to read as follows: 12 1. a. Nominations made pursuant to this chapter and chapter 13 45 for partisan office which are required to be filed in the 14 office of the state commissioner shall be filed in that office 15 not more than ninety-nine days nor later than 5:00 p.m. on 16 the eighty-first day before the date of the general primary 17 election to be held in November June . Nominations made for 18 a special election called pursuant to section 69.14 shall be 19 filed by 5:00 p.m. not less than twenty-five days before the 20 date of an election called upon at least forty days’ notice 21 and not less than fourteen days before the date of an election 22 called upon at least eighteen days’ notice. Nominations made 23 for a special election called pursuant to section 69.14A shall 24 be filed by 5:00 p.m. not less than twenty-five days before the 25 date of the election. 26 b. Nominations made pursuant to this chapter and chapter 27 45 for nonpartisan office which are required to be filed in 28 the office of the commissioner shall be filed in that office 29 not more than ninety-two days nor later than 5:00 p.m. on 30 the sixty-ninth day before the date of the general election. 31 Nominations made pursuant to this chapter and chapter 45 for 32 partisan office which are required to be filed in the office of 33 the commissioner shall be filed in that office not more than 34 ninety-two days nor later than 5:00 p.m. on the sixty-ninth day 35 -1- LSB 2324YH (3) 87 aw/jh/sc 1/ 3

H.F. 481 before the date of the primary election. 1 c. Nominations made pursuant to this chapter or chapter 2 45 for city office shall be filed not more than seventy-two 3 days nor later than 5:00 p.m. on the forty-seventh day before 4 the city election with the county commissioner of elections 5 responsible under section 47.2 for conducting elections held 6 for the city, who shall process them as provided by law. 7 d. Nominations made for a special election called pursuant 8 to section 69.14 shall be filed by 5:00 p.m. not less than 9 twenty-five days before the date of an election called upon 10 at least forty days’ notice and not less than fourteen days 11 before the date of an election called upon at least eighteen 12 days’ notice. Nominations made for a special election called 13 pursuant to section 69.14A shall be filed by 5:00 p.m. not less 14 than twenty-five days before the date of the election. 15 EXPLANATION 16 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 17 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 18 This bill relates to candidacy for partisan office. 19 Under current law, political party conventions or 20 committees are permitted to designate a candidate to be placed 21 on the general election ballot when a ballot vacancy occurs. 22 Under the bill, it is no longer considered a ballot vacancy if 23 no candidates filed nomination papers for the primary election 24 for that office under that political party. 25 For candidates seeking election to a partisan office, the 26 bill requires that nomination papers filed under Code chapter 27 44 or 45 be filed with the state commissioner of elections 28 (secretary of state) or the county commissioner of elections 29 (county auditor) by the filing deadline for the primary 30 election for political party candidates. Under current Code 31 section 43.11, nomination papers in behalf of a political 32 party candidate for county office are required to be filed not 33 earlier than 92 days nor later than 69 days before the primary 34 election. For political party candidates for United States 35 -2- LSB 2324YH (3) 87 aw/jh/sc 2/ 3

H.F. 481 senator, representative in Congress, elective state office, and 1 office in the general assembly, nomination papers are required 2 to be filed not earlier than 99 days nor later than 81 days 3 before the primary election. 4 -3- LSB 2324YH (3) 87 aw/jh/sc 3/ 3