House File 2373 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2373 BY ANDREWS A BILL FOR An Act relating to the conduct of elections, and making 1 penalties applicable. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 6045YH (2) 90 ss/ns

H.F. 2373 Section 1. Section 1C.1, Code 2024, is amended by adding the 1 following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 7A. Election Day, the first Tuesday after 3 the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year. 4 Sec. 2. Section 1C.2, subsection 1, Code 2024, is amended by 5 adding the following new paragraph: 6 NEW PARAGRAPH . 0f. Election Day, the first Tuesday after 7 the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year. 8 Sec. 3. Section 49.57, Code 2024, is amended by adding the 9 following new subsection: 10 NEW SUBSECTION . 8. They shall include a unique code 11 or other identifier to distinguish genuine ballots from 12 counterfeit ballots. Notwithstanding any provision of law to 13 the contrary, a ballot that does not include a unique code or 14 other identifier that has not been previously included on a 15 cast ballot shall not be counted. 16 Sec. 4. Section 53.1, subsection 1, Code 2024, is amended 17 to read as follows: 18 1. Any registered voter may, subject to the provisions of 19 this chapter , vote at any election: 20 a. When the voter expects to will be absent on election day 21 during the time the polls are open from the precinct in which 22 the voter is a registered voter due to a responsibility related 23 to the person’s employment . 24 b. When, through illness , age, or physical disability, the 25 voter expects to will be prevented from going to the polls and 26 voting on election day. 27 c. When the voter expects to be unable to go to the polls 28 and vote on election day because the voter is a member of the 29 military . 30 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 68A.507 Contributions from 31 out-of-state sources —— limitations. 32 1. A candidate or candidate’s committee shall not accept 33 contributions of greater than one dollar from a person not 34 living in or incorporated or organized under the laws of this 35 -1- LSB 6045YH (2) 90 ss/ns 1/ 4

H.F. 2373 state. 1 2. The general assembly recognizes that persons who are not 2 residents of Iowa have the right to free speech under the first 3 amendment to the Constitution of the United States and may have 4 a passing interest in elections in this state. However, the 5 general assembly finds that it is in the best interest of the 6 residents of Iowa for elections in this state to be influenced 7 and funded by residents of Iowa. 8 Sec. 6. NEW SECTION . 68A.508 Contribution limits for 9 candidates. 10 1. For the purposes of this section, “election campaign 11 cycle” means the time period between elections for a particular 12 office. Each primary, general, and special election is a 13 separate election campaign cycle. Separate contribution limits 14 for each type of election for a particular office, including 15 primary, general, and special elections, apply in an election 16 campaign cycle. 17 2. A person shall not make, and a candidate, candidate’s 18 committee, or anyone acting on behalf of any candidate or 19 candidate’s committee shall not accept, any contribution which 20 will cause the total amount of the person’s contributions to 21 a candidate or candidate’s committee to exceed one hundred 22 dollars. 23 3. This section applies to candidates for any public office 24 in this state. 25 EXPLANATION 26 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 27 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 28 This bill relates to the conduct of elections. 29 The bill makes the day of the general election, the 30 first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each 31 even-numbered year, a legal public holiday. The bill also 32 makes election day a paid holiday for state employees. 33 The bill requires that each ballot include a unique code 34 or other identifier to distinguish genuine ballots from 35 -2- LSB 6045YH (2) 90 ss/ns 2/ 4

H.F. 2373 counterfeit ballots. The bill prohibits a ballot from 1 being counted if it does not include a unique code or other 2 identifier that has not been previously included on a cast 3 ballot. 4 The bill alters the groups of voters who may cast an absentee 5 ballot. The bill allows a voter to cast an absentee ballot 6 only if the voter will be absent on election day during the 7 time the polls are open from the precinct in which the voter 8 is a registered voter due to a responsibility related to the 9 person’s employment; the voter will be prevented from going to 10 the polls and voting on election day due to illness, age, or 11 physical disability; or the voter expects to be unable to go 12 to the polls and vote on election day because the voter is a 13 member of the military. 14 The bill prohibits a candidate for public office or 15 a candidate’s committee from accepting contributions of 16 greater than $1 from a person not living in or incorporated 17 or organized under the laws of this state. The bill states 18 the general assembly’s recognition that persons who are not 19 residents of Iowa have the right to free speech under the 20 first amendment to the Constitution of the United States and 21 may have a passing interest in elections in Iowa but that the 22 general assembly finds that it is in the best interest of the 23 residents of Iowa for elections in Iowa to be influenced and 24 funded by residents of Iowa. By operation of law, a person who 25 willfully violates this provision of the bill is guilty of a 26 serious misdemeanor. A serious misdemeanor is punishable by 27 confinement for no more than one year and a fine of at least 28 $430 but not more than $2,560. 29 The bill imposes campaign contribution limits on candidates 30 for public office. In an election campaign cycle, a person 31 shall not contribute to a candidate, and the candidate shall 32 not accept, more than $100. A person who willfully makes or 33 accepts a contribution in violation of this provision of the 34 bill is, pursuant to Code section 68A.701, guilty of a serious 35 -3- LSB 6045YH (2) 90 ss/ns 3/ 4

H.F. 2373 misdemeanor. 1 A variety of civil remedies are also available in Code 2 section 68B.32D for a violation of the bill relating to 3 campaign finance, ranging from a reprimand to a civil penalty 4 of not more than $2,000. 5 -4- LSB 6045YH (2) 90 ss/ns 4/ 4