Bill Text: IA HSB633 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: A bill for an act requiring primary elections for the nomination of candidates for city, school district, and merged area elections, and including applicability provisions.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-07 - Subcommittee recommends passage. Vote Total: 2-0. [HSB633 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2023-HSB633-Introduced.html
House Study Bill 633 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON WHEELER) A BILL FOR An Act requiring primary elections for the nomination of 1 candidates for city, school district, and merged area 2 elections, and including applicability provisions. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns
H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 43.24, subsection 1, paragraph b, 1 subparagraph (4), Code 2024, is amended to read as follows: 2 (4) Those filed with the city clerk or the secretary of 3 the school board under this chapter , at least thirty-six days 4 before the city or school primary election. 5 Sec. 2. Section 43.24, subsection 3, Code 2024, is amended 6 by adding the following new paragraph: 7 NEW PARAGRAPH . d. Objections filed with the secretary of 8 the school board shall be considered by three members of the 9 school board against whom no objection exists chosen by the 10 school board by ballot, and a majority decision shall be final. 11 Sec. 3. Section 43.78, subsection 1, paragraph f, Code 2024, 12 is amended to read as follows: 13 f. For any other partisan office filled by the voters of a 14 subdivision of a county, by those members of the party’s county 15 central committee who represent the precincts lying within that 16 district, who shall be convened or reconvened as appropriate by 17 the county party chairperson. However, this paragraph shall 18 not apply to partisan city offices in special charter cities 19 for which candidates are nominated under this chapter , but such 20 ballot vacancies shall be filled as provided by section 43.116 . 21 Sec. 4. Section 43.112, Code 2024, is amended to read as 22 follows: 23 43.112 Nominations in certain cities and school districts . 24 1. This chapter shall, so far as applicable, govern the 25 nominations of candidates by political parties for all offices 26 to be filled by a direct vote of the people in cities acting 27 under a special charter in 1973 and having a population of 28 over fifty thousand, except all such cities as choose by 29 special election to conduct nonpartisan city elections under 30 the provisions of chapter 44 , 45 , or 376 . An election on the 31 question of conducting city elections in such a special charter 32 city on a nonpartisan basis may be called by the city council 33 on its own initiative, and shall be called by the council upon 34 receipt of a petition of the voters which so requests and 35 -1- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 1/ 16
H.F. _____ is presented in conformity with section 362.4 , but a special 1 election on that question shall be held concurrently with any 2 election being held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday 3 in November of any odd-numbered year and school districts . 4 2. Sections 43.114 through 43.118 shall apply only to all 5 cities to which this chapter is made applicable by this section 6 and school districts . 7 Sec. 5. Section 43.114, Code 2024, is amended to read as 8 follows: 9 43.114 Time of holding special charter city or school 10 district primary. 11 In special charter cities and school districts holding a 12 city or school district primary election under the provisions 13 of section 43.112 , the primary shall be held on the first 14 Tuesday in October of the year in which regular city or school 15 district elections are held. 16 Sec. 6. Section 43.115, subsection 1, Code 2024, is amended 17 to read as follows: 18 1. All candidates for nominations to be made in city primary 19 elections held pursuant to section 43.112 shall file nomination 20 papers with the city clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. forty days 21 before the date of the election as established by section 22 43.114 , except that candidates for precinct committee member 23 shall file affidavits of candidacy as required by section 24 420.130 376.16 . The number of eligible electors signing 25 petitions required for printing the name of a candidate upon 26 the official primary ballot shall be one hundred for an office 27 to be filled by the voters of the entire city and twenty-five 28 for an office to be filled by the voters of a subdivision of the 29 city. 30 Sec. 7. Section 43.115, Code 2024, is amended by adding the 31 following new subsection: 32 NEW SUBSECTION . 1A. All candidates for nominations to be 33 made in school district primary elections held pursuant to 34 section 43.112 shall file nomination papers with the secretary 35 -2- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 2/ 16
H.F. _____ of the school board no later than 5:00 p.m. forty days before 1 the date of the election as established by section 43.114. The 2 number of eligible electors signing petitions required for 3 printing the name of a candidate upon the official primary 4 ballot shall be twenty-five for a seat to be filled by the 5 voters of the entire school district and ten for a seat to be 6 filled by the voters of a director district. 7 Sec. 8. Section 43.116, Code 2024, is amended to read as 8 follows: 9 43.116 Ballot vacancies in special charter city and school 10 district elections. 11 1. A vacancy on the ballot for an election at which city 12 officers or school board members are to be chosen, and for 13 which candidates have been nominated under this chapter , exists 14 when any political party lacks a candidate for an office to be 15 filled at that election because: 16 a. Either no person filed at the time required by section 17 43.115 as a candidate for the party’s nomination for that 18 office in the city or school primary election held under 19 section 43.112 , or all persons who did so subsequently withdrew 20 as candidates, were found to lack the requisite requirements 21 for the office, or died before the date of the city or school 22 primary election, and no candidate received a number of 23 write-in votes sufficient for nomination under section 43.53 ; 24 or 25 b. The person nominated in the city or school primary 26 election as the party’s candidate for that office withdrew 27 by giving written notice to that effect to the city clerk or 28 secretary of the school board not later than 5:00 p.m. on the 29 day of the canvass of that city or school primary election. 30 2. A ballot vacancy as defined by this section may be 31 filled by the city or school district central committee of 32 the party on whose ticket the vacancy exists or, in the case 33 of an officer elected by the voters of a district within the 34 city or school district , by those members of the committee who 35 -3- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 3/ 16
H.F. _____ represent the precincts lying within that district. The name 1 of a candidate so designated to fill such a ballot vacancy 2 shall be submitted in writing to the city clerk or school 3 district not later than 5:00 p.m. on the seventh day following 4 the city or school primary election. 5 3. If a special election is held to fill a vacancy in an 6 elective city office or school board seat , nominations by 7 political parties shall be made following the provisions of 8 subsection 2 . 9 Sec. 9. Section 43.118, Code 2024, is amended to read as 10 follows: 11 43.118 Expense. 12 1. The entire expense of conducting the city primary 13 election and preparation of election registers shall be audited 14 by the city council and paid by the city. 15 2. The entire expense of conducting the school primary 16 election and preparation of election registers shall be audited 17 by the school board and paid by the school district. 18 Sec. 10. Section 45.1, subsection 9, paragraph a, Code 2024, 19 is amended to read as follows: 20 a. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 10 , in 21 In cities having a population of twenty-five thousand or 22 greater according to the most recent federal decennial census, 23 nominations may be made by nomination papers signed by not less 24 than seventy-five eligible electors who are residents of the 25 city or ward. 26 Sec. 11. Section 45.1, subsection 10, Code 2024, is amended 27 by striking the subsection. 28 Sec. 12. Section 49.31, subsection 2, paragraph d, Code 29 2024, is amended to read as follows: 30 d. On the regular and special city election and school 31 election ballots the names of candidates for city, school 32 district, and merged area offices shall be arranged by drawing 33 lots for position. The commissioner shall hold the drawing on 34 the second business day following the deadline for filing of 35 -4- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 4/ 16
H.F. _____ nomination papers or petitions under sections 260C.15 , 277.4 , 1 and 376.4 . If a candidate withdraws, dies, or is removed 2 from the ballot after the ballot position of names has been 3 determined, such candidate’s name shall be removed from the 4 ballot, and the order of the remaining names shall not be 5 changed. 6 Sec. 13. Section 50.48, subsection 1, paragraph a, 7 unnumbered paragraph 1, Code 2024, is amended to read as 8 follows: 9 The county board of canvassers shall order a recount of the 10 votes cast for a particular office or nomination in one or 11 more specified election precincts in that county if a written 12 request for a recount is made not later than 5:00 p.m. on the 13 third day following the county board’s canvass of the election 14 in question. For a city runoff election held pursuant to 15 section 376.9 , the written request must be made not later than 16 5:00 p.m. on the day following the county board’s canvass of 17 the city runoff election. The request shall be filed with the 18 commissioner of that county and shall be signed by either of 19 the following: 20 Sec. 14. Section 50.48, subsection 8, Code 2024, is amended 21 by striking the subsection. 22 Sec. 15. Section 69.12, subsection 1, paragraph b, 23 subparagraph (2), Code 2024, is amended to read as follows: 24 (2) The candidate filing deadline specified in section 25 376.4 for the regular city election or the filing deadline 26 specified in section 372.13, subsection 2 , for a special city 27 election. 28 Sec. 16. Section 260C.15, subsections 2 and 3, Code 2024, 29 are amended to read as follows: 30 2. A candidate for member of the board of directors of a 31 merged area shall be nominated by a petition signed by not 32 less than fifty eligible electors of the director district 33 from which the member is to be elected. The petition shall 34 state the number of the director district from which the 35 -5- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 5/ 16
H.F. _____ candidate seeks election, and the candidate’s name and status 1 as an eligible elector of the director district. Signers of 2 the petition, in addition to signing their names, shall show 3 their residence, including street and number if any, the school 4 district in which they reside, and the date they signed the 5 petition. A person may sign nomination petitions for more 6 than one candidate for the same office, and the signature 7 is not invalid solely because the person signed nomination 8 petitions for one or more other candidates for the office. The 9 petition shall include the affidavit of the candidate being 10 nominated, stating the candidate’s name and residence, and 11 that the individual is a candidate, is eligible for the office 12 sought, and if elected will qualify for the office as provided 13 in section 277.4 . 14 3. Nomination papers on behalf of candidates for member of 15 the board of directors of a merged area shall be filed with 16 the secretary of the board not earlier than seventy-one days 17 nor later than 5:00 p.m. on the forty-seventh day prior to 18 the election at which members of the board are to be elected. 19 On the day following the last day on which certificates of 20 nomination petitions can be filed, and no later than 5:00 p.m. 21 on that day, the secretary shall deliver all certificates 22 of nomination petitions so filed, together with the text of 23 any public measure being submitted by the board of directors 24 to the electorate, to the merged area’s controlling county 25 commissioner of elections under section 47.2 . That controlling 26 commissioner shall certify the names of candidates, and the 27 text and summary of any public measure being submitted to the 28 electorate, to all county commissioners of elections in the 29 merged area by the forty-second day prior to the election. 30 Sec. 17. Section 260C.15, subsection 4, paragraphs a and b, 31 Code 2024, are amended to read as follows: 32 a. Objections to the legal sufficiency of a nomination 33 petition or to the eligibility of a candidate may be filed by 34 any person who would have the right to vote for a candidate for 35 -6- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 6/ 16
H.F. _____ the office in question. 1 b. The objection must be filed with the secretary of the 2 board at least forty-two days before the day of the election 3 at which members of the board are elected. When objections 4 are filed, notice shall immediately be given to the candidate 5 affected, addressed to the candidate’s place of residence as 6 given on the candidate’s affidavit, stating that objections 7 have been made to the legal sufficiency of the petition or to 8 the eligibility of the candidate, and also stating the time and 9 place the objections will be considered. The board secretary 10 shall also attempt to notify the candidate by telephone if 11 the candidate provided a telephone number on the candidate’s 12 affidavit. 13 Sec. 18. Section 275.25, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code 14 2024, is amended to read as follows: 15 b. The election shall be conducted as provided in section 16 sections 277.3 , and nomination petitions shall be filed 17 pursuant to section 277.4 , except as otherwise provided in 18 this subsection . Nomination petitions shall be filed with the 19 secretary of the board of the existing school district in which 20 the candidate resides not less than twenty-eight days before 21 the date set for the special school election. The secretary 22 of the board, or the secretary’s designee, shall be present in 23 the secretary’s office until 5:00 p.m. on the final day to 24 file the nomination papers. The nomination papers shall be 25 delivered to the commissioner no later than 5:00 p.m. on the 26 twenty-seventh day before the election. 27 Sec. 19. Section 277.4, Code 2024, is amended by striking 28 the section and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 29 277.4 Nominations —— primary elections. 30 Nominations shall be made by primary elections held pursuant 31 to sections 43.112 through 43.118 and 277.8 through 277.19. 32 Sec. 20. Section 277.5, subsection 1, Code 2024, is amended 33 to read as follows: 34 1. Objections to the legal sufficiency of a nomination 35 -7- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 7/ 16
H.F. _____ petition or to the eligibility of a candidate may be filed by 1 any person who would have the right to vote for a candidate for 2 the office in question. The objection must be filed with the 3 secretary of the school board at least forty-two days before 4 the day of the school election. When objections are filed 5 notice shall forthwith be given to the candidate affected, 6 addressed to the candidate’s place of residence as given on the 7 candidate’s affidavit, stating that objections have been made 8 to the legal sufficiency of the petition or to the eligibility 9 of the candidate, and also stating the time and place the 10 objections will be considered. 11 Sec. 21. NEW SECTION . 277.8 School district convention. 12 Political parties in school districts shall hold a school 13 district convention within the school district on the second 14 Friday following the primary election. The school district 15 central committee shall set the time and place of the 16 convention and shall file the same in the office of the school 17 board at least ten days prior to the convention. 18 Sec. 22. NEW SECTION . 277.9 School district convention —— 19 delegates elected. 20 Delegates to school district conventions of their respective 21 political parties shall be elected at precinct caucuses held 22 at 8:00 p.m. on the third Monday in August of the same year in 23 which the school election is conducted. The precinct caucuses 24 shall be convened within the boundaries of each precinct at 25 places designated by the school district central committee. 26 The chairperson of the school district central committee shall 27 file with the school board a certified list of places where the 28 precinct caucuses will be held not later than ten days prior 29 to the date of the caucus and shall cause the time and place of 30 said caucus to be published in two newspapers within the school 31 district not later than ten days prior to the convening of the 32 precinct caucus. 33 Sec. 23. NEW SECTION . 277.10 School district convention 34 —— chairperson and secretary. 35 -8- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 8/ 16
H.F. _____ The school district precinct caucus shall elect, by a 1 majority vote of those present, a chairperson and secretary 2 who shall certify to the school district central committee 3 and school board the names and addresses of those elected as 4 delegates to the school district convention. The number of 5 delegates from each voting precinct shall be determined by 6 a ratio adopted by the respective political party’s school 7 district central committee, and the chairperson of the school 8 district central committee shall file with the school board a 9 statement designating the number of delegates for each voting 10 precinct in the school district not less than twenty-five days 11 before the date of the precinct caucuses. If the chairperson 12 of the school district central committee fails to so act, the 13 county chairperson shall designate the number of delegates 14 to be elected from each voting precinct and shall cause such 15 information to be published in two newspapers within the school 16 district at least ten days prior to holding the precinct 17 caucuses. 18 Sec. 24. NEW SECTION . 277.11 School district convention 19 delegates —— term. 20 The delegates shall hold office from the day following the 21 election for a period of two years. 22 Sec. 25. NEW SECTION . 277.12 School district precinct 23 candidates —— affidavit of candidacy. 24 Candidates for school district precinct committee member 25 shall cause their names to be printed on the primary ballot by 26 filing an affidavit as provided for in section 43.18 with the 27 county commissioner of elections at least forty days prior to 28 the day fixed for conducting the primary election. 29 Sec. 26. NEW SECTION . 277.13 Members from each school 30 district precinct. 31 Two persons for each political party shall be elected from 32 each precinct to the school district central committee at 33 the primary election. They shall hold office for a period 34 of two years immediately following the adjournment of the 35 -9- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 9/ 16
H.F. _____ school district convention, or until their successors are duly 1 elected and qualified, unless sooner removed by the school 2 district central committee for failing to perform the duties 3 of committee members, incompetency, or failing to support the 4 ticket nominated by their respective party. 5 Sec. 27. NEW SECTION . 277.14 School district committee 6 meetings —— vacancies. 7 The school district central committee shall commence 8 performing their duties on the day of the school district 9 convention and vacancies occurring therein may be filled by 10 the school district chairperson subject to confirmation of the 11 central committee. 12 Sec. 28. NEW SECTION . 277.15 School district central 13 committee —— returns of election. 14 Election judges shall make returns of the election of 15 members of the school district central committee in the same 16 manner as returns are conducted for other officers except that 17 the election judges shall canvass the returns as to members 18 of the school district central committee, and certify the 19 results thereof to the county commissioner of elections with 20 the returns. 21 Sec. 29. NEW SECTION . 277.16 School district central 22 committee —— certified list of those elected. 23 After the canvass of votes by the county board of 24 supervisors, the county commissioner of elections shall notify 25 the members of the school district central committee who have 26 been elected of the time and place of holding the school 27 district convention, and shall deliver a certified list of 28 those elected to the chairperson of their respective political 29 party’s central committee in the school district on or before 30 the second Thursday following the primary election. 31 Sec. 30. NEW SECTION . 277.17 School district convention —— 32 elected delegates. 33 The school district convention shall be composed of the 34 delegates elected at the last preceding school district 35 -10- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 10/ 16
H.F. _____ precinct caucus, and the secretary of the school board shall 1 forward a certified list of said elected delegates at least ten 2 days prior to the school district convention to the chairperson 3 of the school district central committee. 4 Sec. 31. NEW SECTION . 277.18 Duties of school board 5 secretary. 6 The secretary of the school board shall keep a certified 7 list of delegates to the school district convention elected at 8 the precinct caucuses and a record of the precinct committee 9 members elected at the primary election. The secretary of the 10 school board shall maintain a current list of all members of 11 the school district central committee. The certified list and 12 records shall be maintained by the secretary of the school 13 district for at least two years subsequent to the election 14 of the delegates and precinct committee members and shall be 15 available for public inspection. 16 Sec. 32. NEW SECTION . 277.19 Applicable laws. 17 All laws governing political parties and the nomination of 18 candidates in elections shall, as far as applicable, govern the 19 political parties and nomination and election of candidates in 20 school districts. 21 Sec. 33. Section 279.6, subsection 1, paragraph b, 22 subparagraph (1), Code 2024, is amended to read as follows: 23 (1) If within fourteen days after publication of a notice 24 required pursuant to paragraph “a” for a vacancy that occurs 25 more than one hundred eighty days before the next regular 26 school election, or after the filing period closes pursuant 27 to section 277.4 , subsection 1, for the next regular school 28 election, there is filed with the secretary of the school board 29 a petition requesting a special election to fill the vacancy, 30 an appointment to fill the vacancy is temporary until a 31 successor is elected and qualified, and the board shall call a 32 special election pursuant to section 279.7 , to fill the vacancy 33 for the remaining balance of the unexpired term. 34 Sec. 34. Section 279.7, subsection 4, Code 2024, is amended 35 -11- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 11/ 16
H.F. _____ to read as follows: 1 4. Nomination petitions Nominations shall be filed made in 2 the manner provided in section 277.4 , except that the petitions 3 shall be filed not less than twenty-five days before the date 4 set for the election . 5 Sec. 35. Section 331.383, Code 2024, is amended to read as 6 follows: 7 331.383 Duties and powers relating to elections. 8 The board shall ensure that the county commissioner of 9 elections conducts primary, general, city, school, and special 10 elections in accordance with applicable state law. The board 11 shall canvass elections in accordance with sections 43.49 12 through 43.51 , 43.60 through 43.62 , 46.24 , 50.13 , 50.24 through 13 50.29 , 50.44 through 50.47 , 260C.39 , 275.25 , 277.20 , 376.1 , 14 and 376.7 , and 376.9 . The board shall prepare and deliver a 15 list of persons nominated in accordance with section 43.55 , 16 provide for a recount in accordance with section 50.48 , provide 17 for election precincts in accordance with sections 49.3 , 49.4 , 18 49.6 through 49.8 , and 49.11 , pay election costs as provided 19 in section 47.3 , participate in election contests as provided 20 in sections 62.1A and 62.9 , and perform other election duties 21 required by state law. The board shall provide for the use of 22 an optical scan voting system as provided in sections 52.2 and 23 52.3 , and exercise other election powers as provided by state 24 law. 25 Sec. 36. Section 376.3, Code 2024, is amended to read as 26 follows: 27 376.3 Nominations. 28 Candidates for elective city offices must be nominated as 29 provided in sections 376.4 through 376.9 , unless by ordinance 30 a city chooses the provisions of chapter 44 or 45 . However, 31 a city acting under a special charter in 1973 and having a 32 population of over fifty thousand shall continue to hold 33 partisan elections as provided in sections 43.112 through 34 43.118 and sections 420.126 376.12 through 420.137, unless 35 -12- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 12/ 16
H.F. _____ the city by election as provided in section 43.112 chooses to 1 conduct city elections under this chapter or chapter 44 or 45 2 376.23 . The choice of one of these options by such a special 3 charter city does not otherwise affect the validity of the 4 city’s charter. However, special charter cities which choose 5 to exercise the option to conduct nonpartisan city elections 6 may choose, in the same manner the original decision was made, 7 to resume holding city elections on a partisan basis. 8 Sec. 37. Section 376.4, subsections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7, 9 Code 2024, are amended by striking the subsections. 10 Sec. 38. Section 376.4, subsection 6, Code 2024, is amended 11 to read as follows: 12 6. The city clerk shall deliver the text of any public 13 measure being submitted by the city council to the electorate 14 to the county commissioner of elections. If the county 15 commissioner has designated the city clerk to receive 16 nomination papers for elective city offices pursuant to 17 subsection 1 , the city clerk shall deliver the nomination 18 papers accepted for filing to the county commissioner. The 19 text of any public measure and nomination papers required to 20 be delivered under this subsection shall be delivered no later 21 than the day after the last day on which nomination petitions 22 can be filed, and not later than 12:00 noon on that day. 23 Sec. 39. Section 376.5, Code 2024, is amended to read as 24 follows: 25 376.5 Publication of ballot. 26 Notice for each regular, special, primary, or runoff city 27 election shall be published by the county commissioner of 28 elections as provided in section 362.3 , except that notice of a 29 regular, primary, or runoff election may be published not less 30 than four days before the date of the election. The published 31 notice must list the names of all candidates , and must not 32 contain any party designations . The published notice must 33 include any question to be submitted to the voters. The notice 34 may contain one or more facsimiles of the portion of the ballot 35 -13- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 13/ 16
H.F. _____ containing the first arrangement of candidates as prescribed 1 by section 49.31, subsection 2 . 2 Sec. 40. Section 376.7, subsection 1, Code 2024, is amended 3 to read as follows: 4 1. If a primary election is necessary, it The primary 5 election shall be held on the Tuesday four weeks before the 6 date of the regular city election. For each office on the 7 ballot, a voter shall only vote for the number of persons to 8 be elected to that office at the regular city election. The 9 county board of supervisors shall publicly canvass the tally 10 lists of the vote cast in the primary election, following the 11 procedures prescribed in section 50.24 , at a meeting to be held 12 on the second day following the primary election, and beginning 13 no earlier than 1:00 p.m. on that day. 14 Sec. 41. Section 376.8, subsections 2 and 3, Code 2024, are 15 amended by striking the subsections. 16 Sec. 42. Section 376.11, subsection 2, Code 2024, is amended 17 to read as follows: 18 2. Except in cities where the council has chosen a runoff 19 election in lieu of a primary, following Following the 20 resignation of a person who was elected by write-in votes, 21 the city clerk shall notify the person who received the next 22 highest number of votes cast for the office that the person 23 may assume the office. If there is more than one person who 24 received the next highest number of votes cast for the office, 25 lots shall be drawn pursuant to section 50.44 to determine the 26 person who received the next highest number of votes. If the 27 person accepts the position, the person shall be considered the 28 duly elected officer unless, within ten days after the clerk 29 has given notice, a petition requesting a special election 30 is filed by eligible electors of the city equal in number to 31 twenty-five percent of the number of persons who voted for the 32 office at the election. If the person declines, the person 33 shall do so in writing to the city clerk within ten days and the 34 office shall be considered vacant at the end of the term. The 35 -14- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 14/ 16
H.F. _____ vacancy shall be filled pursuant to the provisions of section 1 372.13, subsection 2 . If the council chooses to appoint, the 2 appointment may be made before the end of the current term. 3 Sec. 43. Section 376.11, subsections 4 and 5, Code 2024, are 4 amended by striking the subsections. 5 Sec. 44. Section 420.126, Code 2024, is amended to read as 6 follows: 7 420.126 City convention. 8 Political parties in special charter cities having a 9 population of fifty thousand or more a city shall hold a city 10 convention within the city on the second Friday following the 11 primary election. The city central committee shall set the 12 time and place of the convention and shall file the same in 13 the office of the city clerk at least ten days prior to the 14 convention. 15 Sec. 45. Section 420.137, Code 2024, is amended to read as 16 follows: 17 420.137 Applicable laws. 18 All laws governing political parties and the nomination of 19 candidates in elections shall, as far as applicable, govern the 20 political parties and nomination and election of candidates 21 in cities acting under a special charter in 1973 and having a 22 population of fifty thousand or more, except where such a city 23 by election chooses to conduct city elections under chapter 44 , 24 45 , or 376 . 25 Sec. 46. CODE EDITOR DIRECTIVE. 26 1. The Code editor is directed to make the following 27 transfers: 28 a. Section 420.126 to section 376.12. 29 b. Section 420.127 to section 376.13. 30 c. Section 420.128 to section 376.14. 31 d. Section 420.129 to section 376.15. 32 e. Section 420.130 to section 376.16. 33 f. Section 420.131 to section 376.17. 34 g. Section 420.132 to section 376.18. 35 -15- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 15/ 16
H.F. _____ h. Section 420.133 to section 376.19. 1 i. Section 420.134 to section 376.20. 2 j. Section 420.135 to section 376.21. 3 k. Section 420.136 to section 376.22. 4 l. Section 420.137 to section 376.23. 5 2. The Code editor shall correct internal references in the 6 Code and in any enacted legislation as necessary due to the 7 enactment of this section. 8 Sec. 47. REPEAL. Sections 376.4A, 376.6, and 376.9, Code 9 2024, are repealed. 10 Sec. 48. APPLICABILITY. This Act applies to elections held 11 on or after January 1, 2026. 12 EXPLANATION 13 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 14 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 15 This bill relates to nominations of candidates for elections 16 to city, school district, and merged area offices. The bill 17 requires candidates for such elections to be nominated by 18 primary elections held pursuant to Code chapter 43 (partisan 19 nominations —— primary election). Currently such elections 20 are nonpartisan except for special charter cities under Code 21 chapter 420. The bill repeals other methods for the nomination 22 of candidates, including nominations by petition and runoff 23 elections. The bill requires political parties in school 24 districts to hold conventions for the nomination of members 25 to the school district central committee for the purpose of 26 holding primary elections in school districts and merged areas. 27 The bill applies to elections held on or after January 1, 2026. 28 -16- LSB 5261YC (5) 90 ss/ns 16/ 16
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