Senate File 91 - Introduced
SENATE FILE 91
BY COSTELLO
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the time that polling places are open and
2 the time given to employees for the purpose of voting.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. Section 49.73, subsection 2, Code 2021, is
2 amended to read as follows:
3 2. All polling places where the candidates of or any public
4 question submitted by any one political subdivision are being
5 voted upon shall be opened at the same hour. The hours at
6 which the respective precinct polling places are to open shall
7 not be changed after publication of the notice required by
8 section 49.53. The polling places shall be closed at 9:00 p.m.
9 for state primary and general elections and other partisan
10 elections, and for any other election held concurrently
11 therewith, and at 8:00 p.m. for all other elections.
12 Sec. 2. Section 49.109, Code 2021, is amended to read as
13 follows:
14 49.109 Employees entitled to time to vote.
15 Any person entitled to vote at an election in this state who
16 does not have three two consecutive hours in the period between
17 the time of the opening and the time of the closing of the polls
18 during which the person is not required to be present at work
19 for an employer, is entitled to such time off from work time to
20 vote as will in addition to the person’s nonworking time total
21 three two consecutive hours during the time the polls are open.
22 Application by any employee for such absence shall be made
23 individually and in writing prior to the date of the election,
24 and the employer shall designate the period of time to be
25 taken. The employee is not liable to any penalty nor shall any
26 deduction be made from the person’s regular salary or wages on
27 account of such absence.
28 EXPLANATION
29 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
30 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
31 This bill relates to the time given to employees for voting
32 and the times during which polls are open. The bill changes
33 the closing time for polling places in all elections to 8:00
34 p.m. Under current law, polling places close at 9:00 p.m. for
35 state primary and general elections, other partisan elections,
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1 and other elections held concurrently therewith.
2 The bill also changes the number of consecutive hours that an
3 employee must be allowed to be away from work for the purposes
4 of voting during the time that polls are open from three hours
5 to two hours.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49.73