Bill Text: IA HF54 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act authorizing certain cities to conduct city elections by absentee ballot.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-01-26 - Subcommittee: Koester, Highfill and Hunter. H.J. 130. [HF54 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-HF54-Introduced.html
House File 54 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY HUNTER A BILL FOR 1 An Act authorizing certain cities to conduct city elections by 2 absentee ballot. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 1828YH (3) 87 aw/sc PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 376.1, Code 2017, is amended to read as 1 2 follows: 1 3 376.1 City election held ==== absentee ballot elections 1 4 authorized. 1 5 1. A city shall hold a regular city election on the first 1 6 Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd=numbered 1 7 year. A city shall hold regular, special, primary, or runoff 1 8 city elections as provided by state law. 1 9 2. The mayor or council shall give notice of any special 1 10 election to the county commissioner of elections. The county 1 11 commissioner of elections shall publish notice of any city 1 12 election and conduct the election pursuant to the provisions 1 13 of chapters 39tothrough 53, except as otherwise specifically 1 14 provided in chapters 362tothrough 392. The results of any 1 15 election shall be canvassed by the county board of supervisors 1 16 and certified by the county commissioner of elections to the 1 17 mayor and the council of the city for which the election is 1 18 held. 1 19 3. a. The council of a city with a population of two 1 20 hundred or less according to the most recent federal decennial 1 21 census may adopt an ordinance providing that elections be 1 22 conducted by absentee ballot. If the city council adopts 1 23 such an ordinance, the clerk shall notify the commissioner 1 24 of elections of the adoption of the ordinance, and the 1 25 commissioner shall mail an absentee ballot application form by 1 26 forwardable mail to each registered voter within the city whose 1 27 status is designated as active pursuant to section 48A.37 no 1 28 fewer than twenty=five days before each regular city election 1 29 or special election for the city. The commissioner shall also 1 30 enclose a postage paid return envelope and a notice in the form 1 31 prescribed by the state commissioner informing the voter that 1 32 voting in person on election day will also be available at the 1 33 commissioner's office during the time the polls are open. The 1 34 commissioner may designate one additional site as an election 1 35 day polling place for a city that adopts an ordinance pursuant 2 1 to this subsection. The location of the additional polling 2 2 place shall be included in the notice to the voter. 2 3 b. The additional polling place designated under this 2 4 subsection is subject to the requirements of section 49.21 2 5 relating to accessibility to persons with disabilities 2 6 and relating to the posting of signs. The location of the 2 7 additional polling place shall be published by the county 2 8 commissioner of elections as required by section 49.53. 2 9 c. The provisions of chapter 53, insofar as applicable, 2 10 shall apply to absentee ballot elections authorized under this 2 11 subsection. 2 12 d. The county commissioner of elections conducting an 2 13 election pursuant to this subsection shall submit a report 2 14 to the state commissioner of elections within sixty days 2 15 following the election. The report shall include information 2 16 on the number of voters who were sent an absentee ballot, the 2 17 number of returned absentee ballots, the number of voters who 2 18 cast ballots at the county commissioner's office, whether 2 19 an additional site was made available as a polling place 2 20 on election day pursuant to paragraph "a", and, if such an 2 21 additional site was made available, the number of voters who 2 22 cast ballots at that site, and any obstacles encountered in the 2 23 voting process for the election. The state commissioner shall 2 24 submit a copy of the report to the chairpersons and ranking 2 25 members of the general assembly's standing committees on state 2 26 government within ten days following the receipt of the report. 2 27 EXPLANATION 2 28 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 2 29 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 2 30 This bill authorizes certain cities to conduct city 2 31 elections by absentee ballot. 2 32 The bill allows cities with populations of 200 or less to 2 33 adopt an ordinance providing that city elections be conducted 2 34 by absentee ballot. The bill requires the county commissioner 2 35 of elections responsible for conducting elections for such a 3 1 city to mail an absentee ballot application form by forwardable 3 2 mail to each active status registered voter within the city 3 3 no fewer than 25 days before each regular city election or 3 4 special election for that city. The bill requires that the 3 5 county commissioner of elections also enclose a postage paid 3 6 return envelope and a notice that in=person voting will also 3 7 be available at the county commissioner's office on the day of 3 8 the election and, if applicable, the location of the additional 3 9 polling place. The bill allows the county commissioner to 3 10 designate one additional election day polling place for such 3 11 cities. 3 12 The bill further requires the county commissioner of 3 13 elections to submit a report on a city election conducted by 3 14 absentee ballot to the state commissioner of elections within 3 15 60 days following the city election. The bill further requires 3 16 that the state commissioner submit a copy of the report to the 3 17 chairpersons and ranking members of the general assembly's 3 18 standing committees on state government. LSB 1828YH (3) 87 aw/sc
