Senate Joint Resolution 9 - Introduced SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 9 BY COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1083) (COMPANION TO HJR 7 BY COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY) SENA TE JOINT RESOLUTION A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution 1 of the State of Iowa relating to the qualifications of 2 electors. 3 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1213SV (1) 89 ss/jh
S.J.R. 9 Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of 1 the State of Iowa is proposed: 2 Section 1 of Article II of the Constitution of the State of 3 Iowa, as amended by the amendment of 1970, is repealed and the 4 following adopted in lieu thereof: 5 Section 1. Electors. Only a citizen of the United States 6 of the age of eighteen years, who shall have been a resident 7 of this state for such period of time as shall be provided by 8 law and of the county in which the citizen claims the citizen’s 9 vote for such period of time as shall be provided by law, shall 10 be entitled to vote at all elections which are authorized by 11 law. However, for purposes of a primary election, a United 12 States citizen must be at least eighteen years of age as of 13 the next general election following the primary election. The 14 required periods of residence shall not exceed six months in 15 this state and sixty days in the county. 16 Sec. 2. REFERRAL AND PUBLICATION. The foregoing proposed 17 amendment to the Constitution of the State of Iowa is referred 18 to the general assembly to be chosen at the next general 19 election for members of the general assembly, and shall be 20 published as provided by law for three months previous to the 21 date of that election. 22 EXPLANATION 23 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 24 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 25 This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the 26 Constitution of the State of Iowa relating to the qualification 27 of electors. The joint resolution reduces the voting age in 28 the Constitution of the State of Iowa from 21 years of age to 18 29 years of age, except that a person who will be 18 years of age 30 by the next general election shall be permitted to vote in a 31 primary election. Eighteen years of age is the current voting 32 age for every election in the United States due to the adoption 33 of the 26th Amendment to the United States Constitution. 34 The resolution, if adopted, would be published and then 35 -1- LSB 1213SV (1) 89 ss/jh 1/ 2
S.J.R. 9 referred to the next general assembly (90th) for adoption, 1 before being submitted to the electorate for ratification. 2 -2- LSB 1213SV (1) 89 ss/jh 2/ 2