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House File 150 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1eliminating election day and in-person absentee voter
2registration.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 39A.2, subsection 1, paragraph a,
2subparagraph (2), Code 2017, is amended by striking the
3subparagraph.
4 Sec. 2. Section 48A.9, subsection 1, Code 2017, is amended
5to read as follows:
61. Registration closes at 5:00 p.m.eleven days before each
7election except general elections. For general elections,
8registration closes at 5:00 p.m.ten days before the election.
9An eligible elector may register during the time registration
10is closed in the elector’s precinct but the registration shall
11not become effective until registration opens again in the
12elector’s precinct, except as otherwise provided in section
1348A.7A.
14 Sec. 3. Section 48A.14, subsection 4, Code 2017, is amended
15to read as follows:
164. A challenge may be filed at any time. A challenge filed
17less than seventy days before a regularly scheduled election
18shall not be processed until after the pending election unless
19the challenge is filed within twenty days of the commissioner’s
20receipt of the challenged registrant’s registration form or
21notice of change to an existing registration. A challenge
22filed against a person registering to vote pursuant to section
2348A.7A is considered a challenge to a person offering to vote
24and must be filed under section 49.79.
25 Sec. 4. Section 48A.25A, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code
262017, is amended by striking the paragraph.
27 Sec. 5. Section 48A.26, subsection 3, Code 2017, is amended
28to read as follows:
293. If the registration form is missing required information
30pursuant to section 48A.11, subsection 8, the acknowledgment
31shall advise the applicant what additional information is
32required. The commissioner shall enclose a new registration
33form for the applicant to use. If the registration form has
34no address, the commissioner shall make a reasonable effort
35to determine where the acknowledgment should be sent. If the
-1-1incomplete registration form is received during the period in
2which registration is closed pursuant to section 48A.9 but
3by 5:00 p.m.on the Saturday before the election for general
4elections or by 5:00 p.m.on the Friday before the election
5for all other elections, the commissioner shall send a notice
6advising the applicant of election day and in-person absentee
7registration procedures under section 48A.7A.
8 Sec. 6. Section 48A.37, subsection 2, Code 2017, is amended
9to read as follows:
102. Electronic records shall include a status code
11designating whether the records are active, inactive,
12incomplete, pending, or canceled. Inactive records are records
13of registered voters to whom notices have been sent pursuant
14to section 48A.28, subsection 3, and who have not returned the
15card or otherwise responded to the notice, and those records
16have been designated inactive pursuant to section 48A.29.
17Inactive records are also records of registered voters to
18whom notices have been sent pursuant to section 48A.26A prior
19to July 1, 2017, and who have not responded to the notice.
20Incomplete records are records missing required information
21pursuant to section 48A.11, subsection 8. Pending records
22are records of applicants whose applications have not been
23verified pursuant to section 48A.25A. Canceled records are
24records that have been canceled pursuant to section 48A.30.
25All other records are active records. An inactive record shall
26be made active when the registered voter requests an absentee
27ballot, votes at an election, registers again, or reports a
28change of name, address, telephone number, or political party
29or organization affiliation. An incomplete record shall be
30made active when a completed application is received from the
31applicant and verified pursuant to section 48A.25A. A pending
32record shall be made active upon verification or upon the voter
33providing identification pursuant to section 48A.8.
34 Sec. 7. Section 49.11, subsection 3, paragraph b,
35subparagraph (1), Code 2017, is amended to read as follows:
-2- 1(1) Establish voting centers for the regular city election,
2city primary election, city runoff election, regular school
3election, and special elections. Any registered voter who
4is eligible to vote in the regular city election may vote
5at any voting center in the city. Any registered voter who
6is eligible to vote at the regular school election may vote
7at any voting center in the school district. Any registered
8voter who is eligible to vote in a special election may vote at
9any voting center established for that special election. For
10purposes of section 48A.7A, a voting center shall be considered
11the polling place for the precinct in which a person resides.
12 Sec. 8. Section 49.77, subsection 4, paragraph b, Code 2017,
13is amended by striking the paragraph.
14 Sec. 9. Section 49.79, subsection 2, paragraph c, Code 2017,
15is amended to read as follows:
16c. The challenged person is not a resident at the address
17where the person is registered. However, a person who is
18reporting a change of address at the polls on election day
19pursuant to section 48A.27, subsection 2, paragraph “a”,
20subparagraph (3), or who is registering to vote pursuant to
21section 48A.7A, shall not be challenged for this reason.
22 Sec. 10. Section 53.2, subsection 6, Code 2017, is amended
23to read as follows:
246. If an application for an absentee ballot is received
25from an eligible elector who is not a registered voter
26the commissioner shall send the eligible elector a voter
27registration form and another absentee ballot application form.
28If the application is received after the time registration
29closes pursuant to section 48A.9 but by 5:00 p.m.on the
30Saturday before the election for general elections or by 5:00
31p.m.on the Friday before the election for all other elections,
32the commissioner shall notify the applicant by mail of the
33election day and in-person absentee registration provisions
34of section 48A.7A. In addition to notification by mail, the
35commissioner shall also attempt to contact the applicant by any
-3-1other method available to the commissioner. If the application
2is received so late that it is unlikely that the registration
3form can be returned in time to be effective on election day,
4the commissioner shall enclose with the absentee ballot a
5notice to that effect, informing the eligible elector of the
6registration time limits in section 48A.9.
7 Sec. 11. REPEAL. Sections 48A.7A and 48A.26A, Code 2017,
8are repealed.
9EXPLANATION
10The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
11the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
12This bill eliminates election day and in-person absentee
13registration, also known as same-day voter registration, and
14restores earlier provisions related to voter registration.
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2registration.
3BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 39A.2, subsection 1, paragraph a,
2subparagraph (2), Code 2017, is amended by striking the
3subparagraph.
4 Sec. 2. Section 48A.9, subsection 1, Code 2017, is amended
5to read as follows:
61. Registration closes at 5:00 p.m.eleven days before each
7election except general elections. For general elections,
8registration closes at 5:00 p.m.ten days before the election.
9An eligible elector may register during the time registration
10is closed in the elector’s precinct but the registration shall
11not become effective until registration opens again in the
12elector’s precinct, except as otherwise provided in section
1348A.7A.
14 Sec. 3. Section 48A.14, subsection 4, Code 2017, is amended
15to read as follows:
164. A challenge may be filed at any time. A challenge filed
17less than seventy days before a regularly scheduled election
18shall not be processed until after the pending election unless
19the challenge is filed within twenty days of the commissioner’s
20receipt of the challenged registrant’s registration form or
21notice of change to an existing registration. A challenge
22filed against a person registering to vote pursuant to section
2348A.7A is considered a challenge to a person offering to vote
24and must be filed under section 49.79.
25 Sec. 4. Section 48A.25A, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code
262017, is amended by striking the paragraph.
27 Sec. 5. Section 48A.26, subsection 3, Code 2017, is amended
28to read as follows:
293. If the registration form is missing required information
30pursuant to section 48A.11, subsection 8, the acknowledgment
31shall advise the applicant what additional information is
32required. The commissioner shall enclose a new registration
33form for the applicant to use. If the registration form has
34no address, the commissioner shall make a reasonable effort
35to determine where the acknowledgment should be sent. If the
-1-1incomplete registration form is received during the period in
2which registration is closed pursuant to section 48A.9 but
3by 5:00 p.m.on the Saturday before the election for general
4elections or by 5:00 p.m.on the Friday before the election
5for all other elections, the commissioner shall send a notice
6advising the applicant of election day and in-person absentee
7registration procedures under section 48A.7A.
8 Sec. 6. Section 48A.37, subsection 2, Code 2017, is amended
9to read as follows:
102. Electronic records shall include a status code
11designating whether the records are active, inactive,
12incomplete, pending, or canceled. Inactive records are records
13of registered voters to whom notices have been sent pursuant
14to section 48A.28, subsection 3, and who have not returned the
15card or otherwise responded to the notice, and those records
16have been designated inactive pursuant to section 48A.29.
17Inactive records are also records of registered voters to
18whom notices have been sent pursuant to section 48A.26A prior
19to July 1, 2017, and who have not responded to the notice.
20Incomplete records are records missing required information
21pursuant to section 48A.11, subsection 8. Pending records
22are records of applicants whose applications have not been
23verified pursuant to section 48A.25A. Canceled records are
24records that have been canceled pursuant to section 48A.30.
25All other records are active records. An inactive record shall
26be made active when the registered voter requests an absentee
27ballot, votes at an election, registers again, or reports a
28change of name, address, telephone number, or political party
29or organization affiliation. An incomplete record shall be
30made active when a completed application is received from the
31applicant and verified pursuant to section 48A.25A. A pending
32record shall be made active upon verification or upon the voter
33providing identification pursuant to section 48A.8.
34 Sec. 7. Section 49.11, subsection 3, paragraph b,
35subparagraph (1), Code 2017, is amended to read as follows:
-2- 1(1) Establish voting centers for the regular city election,
2city primary election, city runoff election, regular school
3election, and special elections. Any registered voter who
4is eligible to vote in the regular city election may vote
5at any voting center in the city. Any registered voter who
6is eligible to vote at the regular school election may vote
7at any voting center in the school district. Any registered
8voter who is eligible to vote in a special election may vote at
9any voting center established for that special election. For
10purposes of section 48A.7A, a voting center shall be considered
11the polling place for the precinct in which a person resides.
12 Sec. 8. Section 49.77, subsection 4, paragraph b, Code 2017,
13is amended by striking the paragraph.
14 Sec. 9. Section 49.79, subsection 2, paragraph c, Code 2017,
15is amended to read as follows:
16c. The challenged person is not a resident at the address
17where the person is registered. However, a person who is
18reporting a change of address at the polls on election day
19pursuant to section 48A.27, subsection 2, paragraph “a”,
20subparagraph (3), or who is registering to vote pursuant to
21section 48A.7A, shall not be challenged for this reason.
22 Sec. 10. Section 53.2, subsection 6, Code 2017, is amended
23to read as follows:
246. If an application for an absentee ballot is received
25from an eligible elector who is not a registered voter
26the commissioner shall send the eligible elector a voter
27registration form and another absentee ballot application form.
28If the application is received after the time registration
29closes pursuant to section 48A.9 but by 5:00 p.m.on the
30Saturday before the election for general elections or by 5:00
31p.m.on the Friday before the election for all other elections,
32the commissioner shall notify the applicant by mail of the
33election day and in-person absentee registration provisions
34of section 48A.7A. In addition to notification by mail, the
35commissioner shall also attempt to contact the applicant by any
-3-1other method available to the commissioner. If the application
2is received so late that it is unlikely that the registration
3form can be returned in time to be effective on election day,
4the commissioner shall enclose with the absentee ballot a
5notice to that effect, informing the eligible elector of the
6registration time limits in section 48A.9.
7 Sec. 11. REPEAL. Sections 48A.7A and 48A.26A, Code 2017,
8are repealed.
9EXPLANATION
10The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
11the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
12This bill eliminates election day and in-person absentee
13registration, also known as same-day voter registration, and
14restores earlier provisions related to voter registration.
-4-aw/sc