The bill amends various sections of the Iowa Code to improve the integrity and security of the electoral process. It introduces a new definition of "election day" as any day when in-person voting occurs and mandates that law enforcement or state entities investigating election misconduct must notify the state commissioner immediately, with the governor being informed in cases involving the state commissioner. Additionally, the bill modifies the recount process for public measures, specifying the conditions for requesting a recount and the composition of the recount board. It also establishes new provisions for handling incomplete voter registrations and enhances election security by requiring all election equipment to be secured with tamper-evident seals.

Further changes include shifting the responsibility for filing and objecting to nomination papers from school board secretaries to county commissioners of elections, clarifying timelines for objections, and updating procedures for filling vacancies on school boards and city offices. The bill also mandates that nomination petitions for candidates must be filed by a specific deadline and that petitioners must be residents of the ward they represent. Additionally, it introduces absentee ballot tracking, allowing voters to receive electronic notifications about their ballot status. Overall, these amendments aim to streamline election processes, enhance security, and improve voter engagement and transparency in Iowa.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 39A.1, 53.10, 48A.37, 52.5, 53.23, 44.8, 44.7, 44.9, 277.3, 279.6, 277.4, 362.4, 376.11