HF 2191 (LSB 5610YH (2) 91)

HOUSE FILE 2191

BY  MOMMSEN

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to elections for school district and city officers and bonds, and including applicability provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

DIVISION I
SCHOOL DISTRICT AND CITY ELECTIONS

    Section 1.  Section 39.2, subsection 1, paragraph a, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   a.  All special elections which are authorized or required by law, unless the applicable law otherwise requires, shall be held on Tuesday. A special election shall not be held on the first, second, third, and fourth Tuesdays preceding and following the primary and the general elections or on the first, second, and third Tuesdays preceding and following a city or school election.
    Sec. 2.  Section 39.2, subsection 2, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   2.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 1, a special election may be held on the same day as a regularly scheduled election if the two elections are not in conflict within the meaning of section 47.6, subsection 2. A special election may be held on the same day as a regularly scheduled election with which it does so conflict if the commissioner who is responsible for conducting the elections concludes that to do so will cause no undue difficulties, except that a special election for a city, school district, or merged area shall not be scheduled to coincide with the general election.
    Sec. 3.  Section 39.2, subsection 3, paragraph b, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   b.  If a special election to fill a vacancy is held in conjunction with a regularly scheduled election, the filing deadlines for the special election shall coincide with the filing deadlines for the regularly scheduled election. An election to fill a vacancy in a city office cannot be held in conjunction with a general election if the city election procedures provide for a primary election.
    Sec. 4.  Section 277.1, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   277.1  Regular election.
   The regular election shall be held biennially on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd-numbered even-numbered year in each school district for the election of officers of the district and merged area and for the purpose of submitting to the voters any matter authorized by law.
    Sec. 5.  Section 376.1, subsection 1, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   1.  A city shall hold a regular city election on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd-numbered even-numbered year. A city shall hold regular, special, primary, or runoff city elections as provided by state law.
    Sec. 6.  TRANSITION.  School district and city officers serving on the effective date of this division of this Act whose terms would expire in January of an even-numbered year shall instead serve until the January next following and be eligible for reelection in the November immediately preceding the January in which the school district or city officer’s term of office expires.
    Sec. 7.  APPLICABILITY.  This division of this Act applies to regular school district and city elections held after November 2, 2027.
DIVISION II
BOND ELECTIONS —— DATES

    Sec. 8.  Section 39.2, subsection 4, paragraph d, Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
   d.  For any political subdivision of this state, if the special election is in whole or in part for the question of issuing bonds or other indebtedness, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June or the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
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 elections for school district and city officers and bonds.
   DIVISION I —— SCHOOL DISTRICT AND CITY ELECTIONS. The bill changes the day of school district and city elections from the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in each odd-numbered year to the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November of each even-numbered year, the same day as the general election. School district and city officers serving on July 1, 2026, whose terms would expire in January of an even-numbered year shall instead serve until the January next following and be eligible for reelection in the November immediately preceding the January in which the school district or city officer’s term of office expires. This division of the bill applies to regular school district and city elections held after November 2, 2027.
   DIVISION II —— BOND ELECTIONS —— DATES. The bill adds the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June as an available date for a political subdivision to hold a special election that is in whole or in part for the question of issuing bonds or other indebtedness.