Senate
File
2376
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
2376
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
STATE
GOVERNMENT
(SUCCESSOR
TO
SSB
3165)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
the
administration
of
elections.
1
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
2
TLSB
6287SV
(2)
90
ss/ns
S.F.
2376
Section
1.
Section
47.4,
Code
2024,
is
amended
to
read
as
1
follows:
2
47.4
Election
filing
deadlines.
3
If
the
deadline
for
a
filing
pertaining
to
an
election
4
falls
on
a
day
that
the
state
or
county
commissioner’s
office
5
is
closed
for
business,
the
deadline
shall
be
extended
to
6
the
next
day
that
the
office
of
state
commissioner
or
county
7
commissioner
is
open
for
business
to
receive
the
filing.
This
8
section
does
not
apply
to
the
deadline
for
voter
registration
9
under
section
48A.9,
subsection
2
.
10
Sec.
2.
Section
48A.9,
subsection
2,
Code
2024,
is
amended
11
to
read
as
follows:
12
2.
The
commissioner’s
office
shall
be
open
from
8:00
a.m.
13
until
at
least
5:00
p.m.
on
the
day
registration
closes
before
14
each
regularly
scheduled
election.
However,
if
the
last
day
to
15
register
to
vote
for
a
regularly
scheduled
election
falls
on
16
the
day
after
Thanksgiving,
the
deadline
shall
be
the
following
17
Monday.
18
Sec.
3.
Section
49.124,
subsection
1,
Code
2024,
is
amended
19
to
read
as
follows:
20
1.
The
commissioner
shall
conduct,
not
later
than
the
day
21
before
each
primary
and
general
election,
a
training
course
for
22
all
election
personnel
,
and
the
commissioner
may
do
so
before
23
any
other
election
the
commissioner
administers
.
The
personnel
24
shall
include
all
precinct
election
officials
and
any
other
25
persons
who
will
be
employed
in
or
around
the
polling
places
26
on
election
day.
At
least
two
precinct
election
officials
who
27
will
serve
on
each
precinct
election
board
at
the
forthcoming
28
election
shall
attend
the
training
course.
If
the
entire
board
29
does
not
attend,
those
members
who
do
attend
shall
so
far
as
30
possible
be
persons
who
have
not
previously
attended
a
similar
31
training
course.
The
commissioner
shall
not
require
a
precinct
32
election
official
to
attend
a
training
that
is
identical
to
a
33
training
that
the
precinct
election
official
attended
within
34
the
previous
ninety
days.
The
state
commissioner
shall
adopt
35
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2376
rules
pursuant
to
chapter
17A
to
implement
instruction
required
1
under
this
subsection.
2
Sec.
4.
Section
49.128,
subsection
1,
unnumbered
paragraph
3
1,
Code
2024,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
4
No
later
than
twenty
days
following
a
general
an
election,
5
the
commissioner
shall
place
on
file
in
the
commissioner’s
6
office
a
certification
that
the
county
met
the
following
7
requirements
at
the
general
election:
8
Sec.
5.
Section
49.128,
subsection
1,
Code
2024,
is
amended
9
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
10
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
f.
The
state
commissioner
may
adopt
rules
11
pursuant
to
chapter
17A
to
require
that
the
commissioner
12
provide
and
certify
additional
information.
13
Sec.
6.
Section
49.128,
subsection
2,
Code
2024,
is
amended
14
to
read
as
follows:
15
2.
a.
If
the
county
is
required
to
conduct
an
audit
under
16
section
50.51
,
the
commissioner
shall
include
a
copy
of
the
17
results
with
the
certification
required
under
this
section
.
18
b.
If
a
county
is
not
required
to
conduct
an
audit
under
19
section
50.51
,
the
commissioner
shall
include
a
copy
of
the
20
certification
required
under
this
section
along
with
the
21
election
canvass
summary
report
required
under
section
50.30A
.
22
Sec.
7.
NEW
SECTION
.
49.129
Pre-election
submission
23
requirements.
24
1.
No
later
than
ten
days
before
the
election,
the
25
commissioner
shall
notify
the
state
commissioner
of
all
of
the
26
following:
27
a.
The
date,
time,
and
location
the
testing
of
voting
28
equipment
required
pursuant
to
section
52.35
is
to
be
29
performed.
30
b.
The
date
the
election
notice
will
be
published
pursuant
31
to
section
49.53
and
where
it
will
appear.
32
c.
The
date
the
election
personnel
training
course
required
33
pursuant
to
section
49.124
is
to
be
conducted.
34
2.
The
state
commissioner
may
adopt
rules
pursuant
to
35
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2376
chapter
17A
to
require
that
the
commissioner
provide
and
1
certify
additional
information.
2
Sec.
8.
Section
50.15A,
Code
2024,
is
amended
to
read
as
3
follows:
4
50.15A
Unofficial
results
of
voting
——
general
election
only
.
5
1.
In
order
to
provide
the
public
with
an
early
source
6
of
election
results
before
the
official
canvass
of
votes,
7
the
state
commissioner
of
elections,
in
cooperation
with
the
8
commissioners
of
elections,
shall
conduct
an
unofficial
canvass
9
of
election
results
following
the
closing
of
the
polls
on
10
the
day
of
a
regular
city
election,
regular
school
election,
11
primary
election,
or
general
election
,
or
any
other
election
12
at
the
discretion
of
the
state
commissioner
.
The
unofficial
13
canvass
shall
report
election
results
for
national
offices,
14
statewide
offices,
the
office
of
state
representative,
the
15
office
of
state
senator,
and
other
offices
or
public
measures
16
at
the
discretion
of
the
state
commissioner
of
elections.
17
The
unofficial
canvass
shall
also
report
the
total
number
of
18
ballots
cast
at
the
general
reported
election.
19
2.
a.
After
the
polls
close
on
election
day,
the
20
commissioner
of
elections
shall
periodically
provide
election
21
results
to
the
state
commissioner
of
elections
as
the
precincts
22
in
the
county
report
election
results
to
the
commissioner
23
pursuant
to
section
50.11
.
If
the
commissioner
determines
24
that
all
precincts
will
not
report
election
results
before
25
the
office
is
closed,
the
commissioner
shall
report
the
most
26
complete
results
available
prior
to
leaving
the
office
at
the
27
time
the
office
is
closed
as
provided
in
section
50.11
.
The
28
commissioner
shall
specify
the
number
of
precincts
included
in
29
the
report
to
the
state
commissioner
of
elections
and
provide
30
an
explanation
in
writing
as
to
why
all
precincts
will
not
be
31
reported
.
32
b.
The
state
commissioner
of
elections
shall
tabulate
33
unofficial
election
results
as
the
results
are
received
from
34
the
commissioners
of
elections
and
shall
periodically
make
the
35
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2376
reports
of
the
results
available
to
the
public.
1
3.
Before
the
day
of
the
general
reported
election,
the
2
state
commissioner
of
elections
shall
provide
a
form
and
3
instructions
for
reporting
unofficial
election
results
pursuant
4
to
this
section
.
5
4.
The
state
commissioner
shall
set
a
date
and
time
by
which
6
a
commissioner
must
complete
testing
of
the
system
used
for
the
7
unofficial
canvass
before
the
reported
election.
8
Sec.
9.
Section
50.48,
subsection
5,
Code
2024,
is
amended
9
to
read
as
follows:
10
5.
a.
(1)
At
the
conclusion
of
a
recount,
the
recount
11
board
shall
make
and
file
with
the
commissioner
a
written
12
report
of
its
findings,
signed
by
a
majority
of
the
recount
13
board.
14
(2)
The
commissioner
or
commissioner’s
designee
may
15
assist
in
compiling
the
written
report.
The
written
report
16
shall
include
a
full
tally
and
accounting
of
ballots
reviewed
17
by
the
recount
board
and
shall
be
reported
as
required
by
18
sections
50.24
and
53.20.
The
written
report
must
allow
the
19
commissioner
to
correct
the
canvass
of
voters
in
the
manner
20
required
by
law,
if
applicable.
21
b.
If
the
recount
board’s
report
is
that
the
abstracts
22
prepared
pursuant
to
the
county
board’s
canvass
were
incorrect
23
as
to
the
number
of
votes
cast
for
the
candidates
for
the
24
office
or
nomination
in
question,
in
that
county
or
district,
25
the
commissioner
shall
at
once
so
notify
the
county
board.
The
26
county
board
shall
reconvene
within
three
days
after
being
so
27
notified,
but
no
later
than
noon
on
the
twenty-seventh
day
28
following
the
election
in
question
for
a
recount
of
the
offices
29
of
president
and
vice
president,
and
shall
correct
its
previous
30
proceedings.
31
Sec.
10.
Section
53.17,
subsection
4,
unnumbered
paragraph
32
1,
Code
2024,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
33
When
a
person
designated
by
the
voter
pursuant
to
section
34
53.33
retrieves
a
completed
absentee
ballot
from
the
voter,
the
35
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2376
designee
shall
,
upon
request
of
the
voter,
fill
out
a
receipt
1
to
be
retained
by
the
voter.
The
state
commissioner
shall
2
prescribe
a
form
for
receipts
required
by
this
subsection
.
The
3
receipt
shall
include
all
of
the
following:
4
Sec.
11.
Section
53.17,
subsection
4,
paragraph
d,
Code
5
2024,
is
amended
by
striking
the
paragraph.
6
Sec.
12.
Section
53.17,
subsection
4,
paragraph
f,
Code
7
2024,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
8
f.
A
statement
that
the
completed
absentee
ballot
will
9
be
delivered
to
the
commissioner’s
office
within
seventy-two
10
hours
of
retrieving
it
from
the
voter
or
before
the
closing
of
11
the
polls
on
election
day,
whichever
is
earlier
,
or
that
the
12
completed
absentee
ballot
will
be
mailed
to
the
commissioner
13
within
seventy-two
hours
of
retrieving
it
from
the
voter
.
14
Sec.
13.
Section
53.20,
subsection
2,
paragraph
b,
Code
15
2024,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
16
b.
For
the
primary
election,
general
election
,
and
for
any
17
election
in
which
the
commissioner
determines
in
advance
of
18
the
election
to
report
the
results
of
the
special
precinct
by
19
the
resident
precincts
of
the
voters
who
cast
absentee
and
20
provisional
ballots,
the
commissioner
shall
prepare
a
separate
21
absentee
ballot
style
for
each
precinct
in
the
county
and
shall
22
program
the
voting
system
to
produce
reports
by
the
resident
23
precincts
of
the
voters.
24
Sec.
14.
Section
54.7,
subsection
1,
Code
2024,
is
amended
25
to
read
as
follows:
26
1.
The
presidential
electors
and
alternate
electors
shall
27
meet
in
the
capitol,
at
the
seat
of
government,
on
the
first
28
Monday
Tuesday
after
the
second
Wednesday
in
December
next
29
following
their
election.
30
Sec.
15.
Section
277.4,
subsection
4,
Code
2024,
is
amended
31
to
read
as
follows:
32
4.
Any
person
on
whose
behalf
nomination
petitions
have
been
33
filed
under
this
section
may
withdraw
as
a
candidate
by
filing
34
a
signed
statement
to
that
effect
with
the
secretary
consistent
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2376
with
section
44.9
,
subsection
5
.
1
EXPLANATION
2
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
3
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
4
This
bill
relates
to
the
conduct
of
elections.
The
bill
5
changes
the
filing
deadline
for
voter
registration
forms
that
6
would
be
due
on
the
day
after
Thanksgiving
from
the
following
7
Monday
to
the
next
day
the
office
of
the
county
commissioner
of
8
elections
or
the
state
commissioner
of
elections
is
open.
9
The
bill
requires
a
county
commissioner
of
elections
to
10
hold
training
for
all
election
personnel
before
each
election,
11
rather
than
before
each
primary
and
general
election.
The
bill
12
prohibits
a
county
commissioner
of
elections
from
requiring
13
a
precinct
election
official
to
attend
a
training
that
is
14
identical
to
a
training
that
the
precinct
election
official
15
attended
within
the
previous
90
days.
The
bill
requires
16
the
state
commissioner
of
elections
to
adopt
rules
for
the
17
implementation
of
required
instruction.
18
The
bill
requires
a
county
commissioner
of
elections
19
to
place
on
file
a
certification
that
the
office
of
the
20
commissioner
met
certain
requirements
within
20
days
after
21
each
election.
Current
law
requires
that
such
certifications
22
be
filed
after
a
general
election.
The
bill
allows
the
state
23
commissioner
of
elections
to
adopt
rules
requiring
county
24
commissioners
of
elections
to
provide
and
certify
additional
25
information.
The
bill
strikes
a
provision
requiring
a
county
26
commissioner
of
elections
to
include
a
copy
of
a
certification
27
along
with
an
election
canvass
summary
report
when
a
county
is
28
not
required
to
conduct
an
audit.
29
The
bill
requires
a
county
commissioner
of
elections
to
30
provide
certain
information
to
the
state
commissioner
of
31
elections
not
later
than
10
days
before
an
election,
including
32
the
date,
time,
and
location
of
equipment
testing,
the
date
and
33
location
where
the
election
notice
will
be
published,
and
the
34
date
that
election
personnel
training
will
be
conducted.
The
35
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8
S.F.
2376
bill
allows
the
state
commissioner
to
adopt
rules
to
require
1
that
a
county
commissioner
provide
and
certify
additional
2
information.
3
The
bill
requires
the
state
commissioner
of
elections,
4
in
cooperation
with
county
commissioners
of
elections,
to
5
conduct
an
unofficial
canvass
of
election
results
following
the
6
closing
of
polls
for
regular
city,
regular
school,
primary,
or
7
general
elections,
and
any
other
election
at
the
discretion
of
8
the
state
commissioner.
Current
law
requires
an
unofficial
9
canvass
only
for
general
elections.
If
a
county
commissioner
10
of
elections
determines
that
all
precincts
will
not
report
11
results
before
the
office
is
closed,
the
bill
requires
the
12
county
commissioner
to
provide
a
written
explanation
as
to
why.
13
The
bill
requires
the
state
commissioner
to
set
a
date
by
which
14
a
commissioner
must
complete
testing
of
equipment
used
for
an
15
unofficial
canvass.
16
The
bill
requires
a
recount
board
to
include
in
its
written
17
report
following
the
conclusion
of
a
recount
a
full
tally
18
and
accounting
of
ballots
reviewed
by
the
board.
The
report
19
must
allow
the
county
commissioner
of
elections
to
correct
the
20
canvass
of
votes
in
the
manner
required
by
law,
if
applicable.
21
The
bill
requires
the
report
to
be
signed
by
a
majority
of
the
22
recount
board
and
allows
the
commissioner
or
the
commissioner’s
23
designee
to
assist
in
compiling
the
report.
If
the
report
is
24
that
the
initial
abstracts
were
incorrect,
the
bill
requires
25
the
county
board
to
reconvene
no
later
than
noon
27
days
26
following
an
election
if
the
election
is
for
president
or
vice
27
president.
28
The
bill
removes
a
requirement
that
a
receipt
filled
out
by
a
29
person
designated
to
return
a
voter’s
completed
absentee
ballot
30
include
a
statement
regarding
the
time
by
which
the
person
31
will
return
the
ballot
and
the
name
of
the
political
party,
32
candidate,
or
committee
for
which
the
designee
is
acting
as
an
33
actual
or
implied
agent.
Code
section
53.33
prohibits
such
a
34
person
from
delivering
a
completed
absentee
ballot.
The
bill
35
-7-
LSB
6287SV
(2)
90
ss/ns
7/
8
S.F.
2376
also
removes
a
provision
allowing
a
voter
to
request
that
a
1
person
collecting
an
absentee
ballot
fill
out
a
receipt.
Code
2
section
53.33
makes
such
receipts
mandatory.
3
The
bill
requires
the
county
commissioner
of
elections
to
4
prepare
a
separate
absentee
ballot
style
for
each
precinct
in
5
the
county
and
program
the
voting
system
to
produce
reports
by
6
the
resident
precincts
of
the
voters
for
each
primary
election.
7
The
bill
updates
an
internal
reference
regarding
withdrawals
8
of
candidates
for
school
district
elections.
9
The
bill
changes
the
meeting
date
for
presidential
electors
10
and
alternates
from
the
first
Monday
after
the
second
Wednesday
11
in
December
next
following
the
election
to
the
first
Tuesday
12
after
the
second
Wednesday
in
December
next
following
the
13
election.
14
-8-
LSB
6287SV
(2)
90
ss/ns
8/
8