Senate File 68 - Introduced SENATE FILE 68 BY TAYLOR A BILL FOR An Act relating to nomination deadlines for nonparty political 1 organizations. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2089XS (5) 91 ss/ns
S.F. 68 Section 1. Section 44.4, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended 1 to read as follows: 2 1. a. Nominations made pursuant to this chapter and 3 chapter 45 which are required to be filed in the office of the 4 state commissioner shall be filed in that office not more than 5 ninety-nine days nor later than 5:00 p.m. on the eighty-first 6 seventy-third day before the first Tuesday after the first 7 Monday in June in each even-numbered year date of the general 8 election to be held in November . Nominations made for a 9 special election called pursuant to section 69.14 shall be 10 filed by 5:00 p.m. not less than twenty-five days before the 11 date of an election called upon at least forty days notice 12 and not less than fourteen days before the date of an election 13 called upon at least eighteen days notice. Nominations made 14 for a special election called pursuant to section 69.14A shall 15 be filed by 5:00 p.m. not less than twenty-five days before 16 the date of the election. Nominations made pursuant to this 17 chapter and chapter 45 which are required to be filed in the 18 office of the commissioner shall be filed in that office not 19 more than ninety-two days nor later than 5:00 p.m. on the 20 seventy-fourth sixty-ninth day before the first Tuesday after 21 the first Monday in June in each even-numbered year date of the 22 general election . Nominations made pursuant to this chapter 23 or chapter 45 for city office shall be filed not more than 24 seventy-two days nor later than 5:00 p.m. on the forty-seventh 25 day before the city election with the county commissioner 26 of elections responsible under section 47.2 for conducting 27 elections held for the city, who shall process them as provided 28 by law. 29 b. Notwithstanding paragraph a , nominations for president 30 and vice president of the United States shall be filed in the 31 office of the state commissioner not more than ninety-nine days 32 nor later than 5:00 p.m. on the eighty-first day before the 33 date of the general election to be held in November. 34 Sec. 2. Section 44.4, subsection 2, paragraph a, 35 -1- LSB 2089XS (5) 91 ss/ns 1/ 3
S.F. 68 subparagraphs (1) and (2), Code 2025, are amended to read as 1 follows: 2 (1) Those filed with the state commissioner, not less than 3 seventy-four sixty-eight days before the first Tuesday after 4 the first Monday in June in each even-numbered year, or for 5 certificates of nomination filed under subsection 1 , paragraph 6 b , not less than seventy-four days before the date of the 7 election. 8 (2) Those filed with the commissioner, not less than 9 sixty-seven sixty-four days before the first Tuesday after the 10 first Monday in June in each even-numbered year date of the 11 election , except as provided in subparagraph (3). 12 Sec. 3. Section 44.9, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended 13 to read as follows: 14 1. In the office of the state commissioner, at least 15 eighty-one days before the date of the election , or for 16 withdrawals of nominations filed under section 44.4, subsection 17 1 , paragraph b , at least seventy-six days before the date of 18 election . 19 Sec. 4. Section 44.11, Code 2025, is amended to read as 20 follows: 21 44.11 Vacancies filled. 22 If a candidate named under this chapter withdraws or dies 23 before the deadline established in section 44.9 , declines 24 a nomination, or if a certificate of nomination is held 25 insufficient or inoperative by the officer with whom it 26 is required to be filed, or in case any objection made to 27 a certificate of nomination, or to the eligibility of any 28 candidate named in the certificate, is sustained by the board 29 appointed to determine such questions, the vacancy or vacancies 30 may be filled by the convention, or caucus, or in such manner 31 as such convention or caucus has previously provided. The 32 vacancy or vacancies shall be filled not less than seventy-six 33 days before the election in the case of nominations required 34 to be filed with the state commissioner or not less than 35 -2- LSB 2089XS (5) 91 ss/ns 2/ 3
S.F. 68 seventy-one days for nominations filed under section 44.4, 1 subsection 1 , paragraph b , not less than sixty-nine days 2 before the election in the case of nominations required to 3 be filed with the commissioner, not less than forty-two days 4 before the election in the case of nominations required to be 5 filed in the office of the school board secretary, and not 6 less than forty-two days before the election in the case of 7 nominations required to be filed with the commissioner for city 8 elections. 9 EXPLANATION 10 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 11 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 12 This bill changes the filing deadline for nominations by 13 nonparty political organizations for all offices that are 14 required to be filed in the office of the state commissioner 15 of elections, including for president and vice president, to 16 the 73rd day before the date of the general election to be held 17 in November, and the filing deadline for offices required to 18 be filed in the office of the county commissioner of elections 19 to the 69th day before the date of the general election. These 20 were the filing deadlines for such nominations prior to 2019. 21 The bill also makes conforming changes to the deadlines for the 22 filing of objections to such nominations. 23 -3- LSB 2089XS (5) 91 ss/ns 3/ 3