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House File 167 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1relating to voter registration and voting by lowering
2the age at which a person may register to vote and the age
3at which a registered voter is eligible to vote in a primary
4election and including effective date provisions.
5BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 48A.5, subsection 2, paragraph c, Code
22017, is amended to read as follows:
3c. (1) Be at least eighteen years of age. However,
4for purposes of voting in the primary election, an eligible
5elector shall be at least eighteen years of age on the date of
6the respective general election or city election. Completed
7registration forms shall be accepted from registrants who are
8at least seventeen and one-half years of age; however,. For
9an election other than a primary election, the registration
10shall not be effective until the registrant reaches the age
11of eighteen. The commissioner of registration shall ensure
12that the birth date shown on the registration form is at
13least seventeen and one-half years earlier than the date the
14registration is processed.
15(2) A registrant who is at least seventeen and one-half
16 years of age and who will be eighteen by the date of a pending
17election is a registered voter for the pending election for
18purposes of chapter 53. For purposes of voting in a primary
19election under chapter 43, a registrant who will be at least
20eighteen years of age by the date of the respective general
21election or city election is a registered voter for the pending
22primary election.
23 Sec. 2. Section 48A.11, subsection 3, Code 2017, is amended
24to read as follows:
253. The following questions and statement regarding
26eligibility shall be included on forms that may be used for
27registration by mail:
28[1] “Are you a citizen of the United States of America?”
29[2] “Will you be eighteen years of age on or before election
30day?”
31[3] “If you checked ‘no’ in response to either of these
32questions, do not complete this form.” form. However, for
33purposes of voting in a primary election, you may complete this
34form if you are a citizen of the United States of America and
35you will be at least eighteen years of age on the date of the
-1-1general election.”
2 Sec. 3. Section 48A.14, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code
32017, is amended to read as follows:
4b. The challenged registrant is less than seventeen and
5one-half years of age.
6 Sec. 4. Section 48A.23, subsection 1, Code 2017, is amended
7to read as follows:
81. At least twice during each school year, the board of
9directors of each school district operating a high school and
10the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school
11shall offer the opportunity to register to vote to each student
12who is at least seventeen and one-half years of age.
13 Sec. 5. Section 48A.26, subsection 9, Code 2017, is amended
14to read as follows:
159. When a person who is at least seventeen and one-half
16 years of age but less than eighteen years of age registers
17to vote, the commissioner shall maintain a record of the
18registration so as to clearly indicate that it will not take
19effect until the registrant’s eighteenth birthday and that the
20person is registered and qualifies to vote at any election
21held on or after that date. However, the commissioner shall
22indicate that the person is registered and qualifies to vote
23at the pending primary election if the person will be at least
24eighteen years of age on the date of the respective general
25election or city election.
26 Sec. 6. Section 48A.31, Code 2017, is amended to read as
27follows:
2848A.31 Deceased persons record.
29The state registrar of vital statistics shall transmit
30or cause to be transmitted to the state registrar of voters,
31once each calendar quarter, a certified list of all persons
32seventeen and one-half years of age and older in the state
33whose deaths have been reported to the bureau of vital records
34of the Iowa department of public health since the previous list
35of decedents was certified to the state registrar of voters.
-2-1The list shall be submitted according to the specifications
2of the state registrar of voters. The commissioner shall, in
3the month following the end of a calendar quarter, run the
4statewide voter registration system’s matching program to
5determine whether a listed decedent was registered to vote in
6the county and shall immediately cancel the registration of any
7person named on the list of decedents.
8 Sec. 7. Section 49.79, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code 2017,
9is amended to read as follows:
10b. The For an election other than a primary election, the
11 challenged person is less than eighteen years of age as of the
12date of the election at which the person is offering to vote.
13For a primary election, the challenged person will be less than
14eighteen years of age on the date of the respective general
15election or city election.
16 Sec. 8. Section 49.81, subsection 4, paragraph a, Code 2017,
17is amended to read as follows:
18a. (1) The individual envelopes used for each provisional
19ballot cast pursuant to subsection 1 shall have space for the
20voter’s name, date of birth, and address and shall have printed
21on them the following:
22I am a United States citizen, at least eighteen years of
23age or, for purposes of voting in a primary election, I
24will be at least eighteen years of age on the date of the
25respective general election or city election. I believe I am
26a registered voter of this county and I am eligible to vote in
27this election.
28.............
29(signature of voter) (date)
30(2) The following information is to be provided by the
31precinct election official:
32Reason for casting provisional ballot:
33.................
34.................
35...........
-3-1(signature of precinct
2election official)
3 Sec. 9. Section 280.9A, subsection 3, Code 2017, is amended
4to read as follows:
53. At least twice during each school year, the board of
6directors of each local public school district operating a
7high school and the authorities in charge of each accredited
8nonpublic school operating a high school shall offer the
9opportunity to register to vote to each student who is at least
10seventeen and one-half years of age, as required by section
1148A.23.
12 Sec. 10. Section 602.8102, subsection 15, Code 2017, is
13amended to read as follows:
1415. Monthly, notify the county commissioner of registration
15and the state registrar of voters of persons seventeen and
16one-half years of age and older who have been convicted of a
17felony during the preceding calendar month or persons who at
18any time during the preceding calendar month have been legally
19declared to be a person who is incompetent to vote as that term
20is defined in section 48A.2.
21 Sec. 11. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect January 1,
222018.
23EXPLANATION
24The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
25the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
26This bill relates to voter registration and voting.
27Current law allows an eligible elector who is at least 17
28and one-half years of age to register to vote, but, except
29for purposes of requesting and voting an absentee ballot, the
30registration does not become effective until the registrant
31turns 18 years of age. The bill allows an otherwise eligible
32elector to register to vote at the age of 17.
33The bill also allows a registered voter who is not 18 years
34of age to vote in a primary election if the voter will be at
35least 18 years of age on the date of the respective general
-4-1election or city election.
2The bill makes additional conforming changes.
3The bill takes effect January 1, 2018.
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2the age at which a person may register to vote and the age
3at which a registered voter is eligible to vote in a primary
4election and including effective date provisions.
5BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 48A.5, subsection 2, paragraph c, Code
22017, is amended to read as follows:
3c. (1) Be at least eighteen years of age. However,
4for purposes of voting in the primary election, an eligible
5elector shall be at least eighteen years of age on the date of
6the respective general election or city election. Completed
7registration forms shall be accepted from registrants who are
8at least seventeen and one-half years of age; however,. For
9an election other than a primary election, the registration
10shall not be effective until the registrant reaches the age
11of eighteen. The commissioner of registration shall ensure
12that the birth date shown on the registration form is at
13least seventeen and one-half years earlier than the date the
14registration is processed.
15(2) A registrant who is at least seventeen and one-half
16 years of age and who will be eighteen by the date of a pending
17election is a registered voter for the pending election for
18purposes of chapter 53. For purposes of voting in a primary
19election under chapter 43, a registrant who will be at least
20eighteen years of age by the date of the respective general
21election or city election is a registered voter for the pending
22primary election.
23 Sec. 2. Section 48A.11, subsection 3, Code 2017, is amended
24to read as follows:
253. The following questions and statement regarding
26eligibility shall be included on forms that may be used for
27registration by mail:
28[1] “Are you a citizen of the United States of America?”
29[2] “Will you be eighteen years of age on or before election
30day?”
31[3] “If you checked ‘no’ in response to either of these
32questions, do not complete this form.” form. However, for
33purposes of voting in a primary election, you may complete this
34form if you are a citizen of the United States of America and
35you will be at least eighteen years of age on the date of the
-1-1general election.”
2 Sec. 3. Section 48A.14, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code
32017, is amended to read as follows:
4b. The challenged registrant is less than seventeen and
5one-half years of age.
6 Sec. 4. Section 48A.23, subsection 1, Code 2017, is amended
7to read as follows:
81. At least twice during each school year, the board of
9directors of each school district operating a high school and
10the authorities in charge of each accredited nonpublic school
11shall offer the opportunity to register to vote to each student
12who is at least seventeen and one-half years of age.
13 Sec. 5. Section 48A.26, subsection 9, Code 2017, is amended
14to read as follows:
159. When a person who is at least seventeen and one-half
16 years of age but less than eighteen years of age registers
17to vote, the commissioner shall maintain a record of the
18registration so as to clearly indicate that it will not take
19effect until the registrant’s eighteenth birthday and that the
20person is registered and qualifies to vote at any election
21held on or after that date. However, the commissioner shall
22indicate that the person is registered and qualifies to vote
23at the pending primary election if the person will be at least
24eighteen years of age on the date of the respective general
25election or city election.
26 Sec. 6. Section 48A.31, Code 2017, is amended to read as
27follows:
2848A.31 Deceased persons record.
29The state registrar of vital statistics shall transmit
30or cause to be transmitted to the state registrar of voters,
31once each calendar quarter, a certified list of all persons
32seventeen and one-half years of age and older in the state
33whose deaths have been reported to the bureau of vital records
34of the Iowa department of public health since the previous list
35of decedents was certified to the state registrar of voters.
-2-1The list shall be submitted according to the specifications
2of the state registrar of voters. The commissioner shall, in
3the month following the end of a calendar quarter, run the
4statewide voter registration system’s matching program to
5determine whether a listed decedent was registered to vote in
6the county and shall immediately cancel the registration of any
7person named on the list of decedents.
8 Sec. 7. Section 49.79, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code 2017,
9is amended to read as follows:
10b. The For an election other than a primary election, the
11 challenged person is less than eighteen years of age as of the
12date of the election at which the person is offering to vote.
13For a primary election, the challenged person will be less than
14eighteen years of age on the date of the respective general
15election or city election.
16 Sec. 8. Section 49.81, subsection 4, paragraph a, Code 2017,
17is amended to read as follows:
18a. (1) The individual envelopes used for each provisional
19ballot cast pursuant to subsection 1 shall have space for the
20voter’s name, date of birth, and address and shall have printed
21on them the following:
22I am a United States citizen, at least eighteen years of
23age or, for purposes of voting in a primary election, I
24will be at least eighteen years of age on the date of the
25respective general election or city election. I believe I am
26a registered voter of this county and I am eligible to vote in
27this election.
28.............
29(signature of voter) (date)
30(2) The following information is to be provided by the
31precinct election official:
32Reason for casting provisional ballot:
33.................
34.................
35...........
-3-1(signature of precinct
2election official)
3 Sec. 9. Section 280.9A, subsection 3, Code 2017, is amended
4to read as follows:
53. At least twice during each school year, the board of
6directors of each local public school district operating a
7high school and the authorities in charge of each accredited
8nonpublic school operating a high school shall offer the
9opportunity to register to vote to each student who is at least
10seventeen and one-half years of age, as required by section
1148A.23.
12 Sec. 10. Section 602.8102, subsection 15, Code 2017, is
13amended to read as follows:
1415. Monthly, notify the county commissioner of registration
15and the state registrar of voters of persons seventeen and
16one-half years of age and older who have been convicted of a
17felony during the preceding calendar month or persons who at
18any time during the preceding calendar month have been legally
19declared to be a person who is incompetent to vote as that term
20is defined in section 48A.2.
21 Sec. 11. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect January 1,
222018.
23EXPLANATION
24The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
25the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
26This bill relates to voter registration and voting.
27Current law allows an eligible elector who is at least 17
28and one-half years of age to register to vote, but, except
29for purposes of requesting and voting an absentee ballot, the
30registration does not become effective until the registrant
31turns 18 years of age. The bill allows an otherwise eligible
32elector to register to vote at the age of 17.
33The bill also allows a registered voter who is not 18 years
34of age to vote in a primary election if the voter will be at
35least 18 years of age on the date of the respective general
-4-1election or city election.
2The bill makes additional conforming changes.
3The bill takes effect January 1, 2018.
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