The bill amends various sections of the Iowa Code to enhance the integrity and efficiency of elections, focusing on candidate eligibility, voter registration, and voting procedures. It specifies that candidates for non-federal offices must acknowledge disqualification if they have felony convictions and their rights have not been restored. Additionally, it introduces a provision that objections to federal office candidates' eligibility can only be based on the legal sufficiency of their nomination petitions or constitutional requirements. The bill prohibits ranked choice voting and instant runoff voting, modifies the definition of a political party to require at least ten percent of total votes cast in the last general election for recognition, and establishes a statewide voter registration database verification pilot program to identify ineligible voters.

Moreover, the bill mandates that counties use the state voter registration system exclusively and requires the state registrar to maintain and verify voter registration records, including cross-referencing with other state databases. It allows the state registrar to contract with third-party vendors for ongoing verification of voter eligibility and establishes protocols for managing voter registration information. Voters must affirm their citizenship status before receiving a ballot, and if documentation indicates a voter is not a U.S. citizen, their registration must be canceled. The bill also assigns the investigation of election misconduct to county sheriffs or relevant law enforcement agencies, ensuring that findings are reported to the attorney general and the state commissioner of elections while maintaining confidentiality.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 43.18, 43.24, 44.3, 44.6, 54.5, 49.93, 49.88, 49.90, 49.89, 347.9, 43.2, 43.63, 50.36, 68B.2, 44.4, 69.14, 44.9, 43.67, 45.3, 47.7, 48A.10A, 48A.30, 48A.37, 48A.28, 49.80, 50.22, 49.78, 22.7