House File 353 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 353 BY WULF A BILL FOR An Act relating to eligibility to vote or stand for election in 1 a primary election or caucus. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2378YH (3) 91 ss/ns

H.F. 353 Section 1. Section 43.17, Code 2025, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 43.17 Preclusion of partisan nomination. 3 1. A person shall not file nomination papers under this 4 chapter on behalf of a candidate if nomination papers have been 5 filed pursuant to section 44.4 on behalf of the candidate for 6 the same office and election year. 7 2. A person shall not file nomination papers under this 8 chapter on behalf of a candidate if the candidate has not been 9 a member of the political party for which the candidate seeks 10 nomination for at least one year immediately prior to the date 11 of filing. This subsection does not apply to a candidate who 12 has not previously cast a ballot in any primary or general 13 election and who is not a member of another political party. 14 Sec. 2. Section 43.38, Code 2025, is amended to read as 15 follows: 16 43.38 Voter confined to party ticket. 17 The elector shall be allowed to vote for candidates for 18 nomination on the ballot of the party with which the elector 19 is has been registered as affiliated for the thirty days 20 immediately preceding the primary election, or with which the 21 elector is registered as affiliated if the elector has not 22 previously cast a ballot in any primary or general election and 23 is not registered as affiliated with another political party , 24 and shall receive no other ballot. The voter shall mark and 25 return the ballot in the manner provided in section 49.84 . 26 Sec. 3. Section 43.43, Code 2025, is amended to read as 27 follows: 28 43.43 Voter’s declaration of eligibility. 29 Each person voting at a primary election shall sign a 30 declaration of eligibility which shall be in substantially the 31 following form: 32 I do solemnly swear or affirm that I am a resident of the 33 ........... precinct, ......... ward or township, city of 34 ...... , county of ...... , Iowa. 35 -1- LSB 2378YH (3) 91 ss/ns 1/ 3

H.F. 353 I am a registered voter. I have not voted and will not vote 1 in any other precinct in this election. 2 I am affiliated with the ...... party. If my current voter 3 registration record indicates another party affiliation or no 4 party affiliation, I swear or affirm that I have in good faith 5 changed my previously declared party affiliation, or declared 6 my party affiliation, not later than thirty days before this 7 primary election or that I have not previously cast a ballot 8 in any primary or general election and that I am not currently 9 a member of another party, and now desire to be a member of the 10 party indicated above. 11 .................................. 12 Signature of voter 13 .................................. 14 Address 15 (........)........................ 16 Telephone (optional) 17 Approved: 18 .................................... 19 Election board member 20 ...................... 21 Date 22 Sec. 4. Section 43.91, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended 23 to read as follows: 24 1. Any person voting at a precinct caucus must be a person 25 who is or will by the date of the next general election become 26 an eligible elector, who has not already participated in the 27 caucus of any political party within the same year, and who 28 is a resident of the precinct , and who has been a registered 29 member of the political party holding the precinct caucus for 30 the thirty days immediately preceding the precinct caucus . 31 A list of the names and addresses of each person to whom 32 a ballot was delivered or who was allowed to vote in each 33 precinct caucus shall be prepared by the caucus chairperson and 34 secretary who shall certify such list to the commissioner at 35 -2- LSB 2378YH (3) 91 ss/ns 2/ 3

H.F. 353 the same time as the names of those elected as delegates and 1 party committee members are so certified. 2 Sec. 5. Section 53.2, subsection 6, Code 2025, is amended by 3 striking the subsection. 4 Sec. 6. REPEAL. Section 43.42, Code 2025, is repealed. 5 EXPLANATION 6 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 7 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 8 This bill prohibits a person from filing nomination papers 9 on behalf of a candidate for a partisan nomination if the 10 candidate has not been a member of the political party for 11 which the candidate seeks nomination for at least one year 12 immediately prior to the date of filing, unless the candidate 13 has not previously cast a ballot in any primary or general 14 election and is not a member of another political party. 15 The bill requires a person to have been registered as 16 a member of a political party for the 30 days immediately 17 preceding a primary election or caucus held by the political 18 party in order to be allowed to vote in that primary election 19 or caucus. This requirement does not apply to a person who has 20 not previously cast a ballot in any primary or general election 21 and who is not a member of another political party. The bill 22 repeals provisions allowing a registered voter to change or 23 declare a political party affiliation on the day of a primary 24 election or by submitting an absentee ballot request form. 25 -3- LSB 2378YH (3) 91 ss/ns 3/ 3