SF 487 (LSB 2173SV (2) 90)

SENATE FILE 487

BY  COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT

(SUCCESSOR TO SF 330)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to special elections to fill vacancies in county boards of supervisors and city elective offices, and including applicability provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 331.306, subsection 1, Code 2023, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  a.  If a petition of the voters is authorized by this chapter, the petition is valid if signed by eligible electors of the county equal in number to at least ten percent of the votes cast in the county for the office of president of the United States or governor at the preceding general election, unless otherwise provided by state law, and except as provided in paragraph “b”. The petition shall include the signatures of the petitioners, a statement of their place of residence, and the date on which they signed the petition.
   b.  A petition to fill a vacancy in the office of county supervisor by a special election filed pursuant to section 69.14A, subsection 1, must be signed by eligible electors of the county equal in number to at least two percent of the votes cast in the county for the office of president of the United States or governor at the preceding general election or the number of signatures required for nomination of a county supervisor pursuant to section 45.1, whichever is greater.
    Sec. 2.  Section 372.13, subsection 2, paragraph a, subparagraph (2), subparagraph divisions (a), (b), and (c), Code 2023, are amended to read as follows:
   (a)  For a city with a population of ten thousand or less, at least two hundred signatures or at least the number of signatures equal to fifteen two percent of the voters who voted for candidates for the office at the preceding regular election at which the office was on the ballot, whichever number is fewer.
   (b)  For a city with a population of more than ten thousand but not more than fifty thousand, at least one thousand signatures or at least the number of signatures equal to fifteen two percent of the voters who voted for candidates for the office at the preceding regular election at which the office was on the ballot, whichever number is fewer.
   (c)  For a city with a population of more than fifty thousand, at least two thousand signatures or at least the number of signatures equal to ten two percent of the voters who voted for candidates for the office at the preceding regular election at which the office was on the ballot, whichever number is fewer.
    Sec. 3.  APPLICABILITY.  This Act applies to vacancies in county boards of supervisors and city elective offices arising on or after the effective date of this Act.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to special elections to fill vacancies in county boards of supervisors and elective city offices. The bill changes the number of signatures required on a petition to fill a vacancy in the office of county supervisor by a special election from 10 percent of the votes cast in the county for office of president or governor at the preceding general election to 2 percent or the number of signatures required for nomination of a county supervisor, whichever is greater. The bill also changes the signature requirements for a petition to fill a vacancy in an elective city office to 2 percent of the voters who voted for candidates for the office at the preceding regular election at which the office was on the ballot. The bill does not change alternate minimum signature requirements based on city size.
   The bill applies to vacancies in county boards of supervisors and city elective offices arising on or after the effective date of the bill.