House File 2191 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2191 BY MOMMSEN A BILL FOR An Act relating to elections for school district and city 1 officers and bonds, and including applicability provisions. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5610YH (2) 91 ss/ns

H.F. 2191 DIVISION I 1 SCHOOL DISTRICT AND CITY ELECTIONS 2 Section 1. Section 39.2, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 3 2026, is amended to read as follows: 4 a. All special elections which are authorized or required 5 by law, unless the applicable law otherwise requires, shall 6 be held on Tuesday. A special election shall not be held on 7 the first, second, third, and fourth Tuesdays preceding and 8 following the primary and the general elections or on the 9 first, second, and third Tuesdays preceding and following a 10 city or school election . 11 Sec. 2. Section 39.2, subsection 2, Code 2026, is amended 12 to read as follows: 13 2. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 1 , a special 14 election may be held on the same day as a regularly scheduled 15 election if the two elections are not in conflict within the 16 meaning of section 47.6, subsection 2 . A special election 17 may be held on the same day as a regularly scheduled election 18 with which it does so conflict if the commissioner who is 19 responsible for conducting the elections concludes that to do 20 so will cause no undue difficulties , except that a special 21 election for a city, school district, or merged area shall not 22 be scheduled to coincide with the general election . 23 Sec. 3. Section 39.2, subsection 3, paragraph b, Code 2026, 24 is amended to read as follows: 25 b. If a special election to fill a vacancy is held in 26 conjunction with a regularly scheduled election, the filing 27 deadlines for the special election shall coincide with the 28 filing deadlines for the regularly scheduled election. An 29 election to fill a vacancy in a city office cannot be held 30 in conjunction with a general election if the city election 31 procedures provide for a primary election. 32 Sec. 4. Section 277.1, Code 2026, is amended to read as 33 follows: 34 277.1 Regular election. 35 -1- LSB 5610YH (2) 91 ss/ns 1/ 3

H.F. 2191 The regular election shall be held biennially on the first 1 Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd-numbered 2 even-numbered year in each school district for the election of 3 officers of the district and merged area and for the purpose of 4 submitting to the voters any matter authorized by law. 5 Sec. 5. Section 376.1, subsection 1, Code 2026, is amended 6 to read as follows: 7 1. A city shall hold a regular city election on the first 8 Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd-numbered 9 even-numbered year. A city shall hold regular, special, 10 primary, or runoff city elections as provided by state law. 11 Sec. 6. TRANSITION. School district and city officers 12 serving on the effective date of this division of this Act 13 whose terms would expire in January of an even-numbered year 14 shall instead serve until the January next following and be 15 eligible for reelection in the November immediately preceding 16 the January in which the school district or city officer’s term 17 of office expires. 18 Sec. 7. APPLICABILITY. This division of this Act applies to 19 regular school district and city elections held after November 20 2, 2027. 21 DIVISION II 22 BOND ELECTIONS —— DATES 23 Sec. 8. Section 39.2, subsection 4, paragraph d, Code 2026, 24 is amended to read as follows: 25 d. For any political subdivision of this state, if the 26 special election is in whole or in part for the question of 27 issuing bonds or other indebtedness, the first Tuesday after 28 the first Monday in June or the first Tuesday after the first 29 Monday in November. 30 EXPLANATION 31 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 32 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 33 This bill relates to elections for school district and city 34 officers and bonds. 35 -2- LSB 5610YH (2) 91 ss/ns 2/ 3

H.F. 2191 DIVISION I —— SCHOOL DISTRICT AND CITY ELECTIONS. The 1 bill changes the day of school district and city elections 2 from the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in 3 each odd-numbered year to the first Tuesday after the first 4 Monday of November of each even-numbered year, the same day 5 as the general election. School district and city officers 6 serving on July 1, 2026, whose terms would expire in January 7 of an even-numbered year shall instead serve until the January 8 next following and be eligible for reelection in the November 9 immediately preceding the January in which the school district 10 or city officer’s term of office expires. This division of the 11 bill applies to regular school district and city elections held 12 after November 2, 2027. 13 DIVISION II —— BOND ELECTIONS —— DATES. The bill adds the 14 first Tuesday after the first Monday in June as an available 15 date for a political subdivision to hold a special election 16 that is in whole or in part for the question of issuing bonds 17 or other indebtedness. 18 -3- LSB 5610YH (2) 91 ss/ns 3/ 3