House File 2479 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 2479
BY THOMSON
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to eligibility to vote in a primary election or
2 caucus.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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H.F. 2479
1 Section 1. Section 43.38, Code 2024, is amended to read as
2 follows:
3 43.38 Voter confined to party ticket.
4 The elector shall be allowed to vote for candidates for
5 nomination on the ballot of the party with which the elector is
6 has been registered as affiliated for the one hundred twenty
7 days immediately preceding the primary election, and shall
8 receive no other ballot. The voter shall mark and return the
9 ballot in the manner provided in section 49.84.
10 Sec. 2. Section 43.43, Code 2024, is amended to read as
11 follows:
12 43.43 Voter’s declaration of eligibility.
13 Each person voting at a primary election shall sign a
14 declaration of eligibility which shall be in substantially the
15 following form:
16 I do solemnly swear or affirm that I am a resident of the
17 ........... precinct, ......... ward or township, city of
18 ......, county of ......, Iowa.
19 I am a registered voter. I have not voted and will not vote
20 in any other precinct in this election.
21 I am affiliated with the ...... party. If my current voter
22 registration record indicates another party affiliation or no
23 party affiliation, I swear or affirm that I have in good faith
24 changed my previously declared party affiliation, or declared
25 my party affiliation, not later than one hundred twenty days
26 before this primary election, and now desire to be a member of
27 the party indicated above.
28 ....................................
29 Signature of voter
30 ....................................
31 Address
32 (........)..........................
33 Telephone (optional)
34 Approved:
35 ....................................
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H.F. 2479
1 Election board member
2 ......................
3 Date
4 Sec. 3. Section 43.91, subsection 1, Code 2024, is amended
5 to read as follows:
6 1. Any person voting at a precinct caucus must be a person
7 who is or will by the date of the next general election become
8 an eligible elector, who has not already participated in the
9 caucus of any political party within the same year, and who
10 is a resident of the precinct, and who has been a registered
11 member of the political party holding the precinct caucus for
12 the one hundred twenty days immediately preceding the precinct
13 caucus. A list of the names and addresses of each person to
14 whom a ballot was delivered or who was allowed to vote in each
15 precinct caucus shall be prepared by the caucus chairperson and
16 secretary who shall certify such list to the commissioner at
17 the same time as the names of those elected as delegates and
18 party committee members are so certified.
19 Sec. 4. Section 53.2, subsection 6, Code 2024, is amended by
20 striking the subsection.
21 Sec. 5. REPEAL. Section 43.42, Code 2024, is repealed.
22 EXPLANATION
23 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
24 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
25 This bill requires a person to have been registered as
26 a member of a political party for the 120 days immediately
27 preceding a primary election or caucus held by the political
28 party in order to be allowed to vote in that primary election
29 or caucus. The bill repeals provisions allowing a registered
30 voter to change or declare a political party affiliation on the
31 day of a primary election or by submitting an absentee ballot
32 request form.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 43.38, 43.43, 43.91, 53.2, 43.42