Bill Text: IA HF2145 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the age at which a registered voter is eligible to vote in a primary election. (See Cmte. Bill HF 2328)

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-10 - Passed subcommittee. [HF2145 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2015-HF2145-Introduced.html

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House File 2145 - Introduced




                                 HOUSE FILE       
                                 BY  MASCHER

                                 (COMPANION TO sf 2001
                                     by gronstal)

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act relating to the age at which a registered voter is
  2    eligible to vote in a primary election.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
    TLSB 5091YH (2) 86
    aw/sc

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 48A.5, subsection 2, paragraph c, Code
  1  2 2016, is amended to read as follows:
  1  3    c.  (1)  Be at least eighteen years of age.  However,
  1  4 for purposes of voting in a primary election, an eligible
  1  5 elector shall be at least eighteen years of age on the date
  1  6 of the general election. Completed registration forms shall
  1  7 be accepted from registrants who are at least seventeen and
  1  8 one=half years of age; however,. For an election other than a
  1  9 primary election, the registration shall not be effective until
  1 10 the registrant reaches the age of eighteen. The commissioner
  1 11 of registration shall ensure that the birth date shown on the
  1 12 registration form is at least seventeen and one=half years
  1 13 earlier than the date the registration is processed.
  1 14    (2)   A For an election other than a primary election, a
  1 15  registrant who is at least seventeen and one=half years of age
  1 16 and who will be eighteen by the date of a pending election is
  1 17 a registered voter for the pending election for purposes of
  1 18 chapter 53.  For purposes of voting in a primary election under
  1 19 chapter 53, a registrant who will be at least eighteen years of
  1 20 age by the date of the general election is a registered voter
  1 21 for the pending primary election.
  1 22    Sec. 2.  Section 48A.11, subsection 3, Code 2016, is amended
  1 23 to read as follows:
  1 24    3.  The following questions and statement regarding
  1 25 eligibility shall be included on forms that may be used for
  1 26 registration by mail:
  1 27 [1]  "Are you a citizen of the United States of America?"
  1 28 [2]  "Will you be eighteen years of age on or before election
  1 29 day?"
  1 30 [3]  "If you checked 'no' in response to either of these
  1 31 questions, do not complete this form.  However, for purposes
  1 32 of voting in a primary election, you may complete this form if
  1 33 you are a citizen of the United States of America and you will
  1 34 be at least eighteen years of age on the date of the general
  1 35 election."
  2  1    Sec. 3.  Section 48A.26, subsection 9, Code 2016, is amended
  2  2 to read as follows:
  2  3    9.  When a person who is at least seventeen and one=half
  2  4 years of age but less than eighteen years of age registers
  2  5 to vote, the commissioner shall maintain a record of the
  2  6 registration so as to clearly indicate that it will not take
  2  7 effect until the registrant's eighteenth birthday and that the
  2  8 person is registered and qualifies to vote at any election
  2  9 held on or after that date.  However, for purposes of voting
  2 10 in a primary election, the registration shall take effect
  2 11 immediately if the person will be at least eighteen years of
  2 12 age on the date of the general election.
  2 13    Sec. 4.  Section 49.79, subsection 2, paragraph b, Code 2016,
  2 14 is amended to read as follows:
  2 15    b.  The For an election other than a primary election, the
  2 16  challenged person is less than eighteen years of age as of the
  2 17 date of the election at which the person is offering to vote.
  2 18 For a primary election, the challenged person will be less than
  2 19 eighteen years of age on the date of the general election.
  2 20    Sec. 5.  Section 49.81, subsection 4, paragraph a, Code 2016,
  2 21 is amended to read as follows:
  2 22    a.  (1)  The individual envelopes used for each provisional
  2 23 ballot cast pursuant to subsection 1 shall have space for the
  2 24 voter's name, date of birth, and address and shall have printed
  2 25 on them the following:
  2 26 I am a United States citizen, at least eighteen years of age
  2 27 or, for purposes of voting in the primary election, I will
  2 28 be at least eighteen years of age on the date of the general
  2 29 election. I believe I am a registered voter of this county and
  2 30 I am eligible to vote in this election.
  2 31 .............
  2 32 (signature of voter) (date)
  2 33    (2)  The following information is to be provided by the
  2 34 precinct election official:
  2 35 Reason for casting provisional ballot:
  3  1 .................
  3  2 .................
  3  3 ...........
  3  4                     (signature of precinct
  3  5                     election official)
  3  6                           EXPLANATION
  3  7 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
  3  8 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
  3  9    This bill allows a registered voter who is not 18 years of
  3 10 age to vote in a primary election if the voter will be at least
  3 11 18 years of age on the date of the general election.  Current
  3 12 law allows an eligible elector who is at least 17 and one=half
  3 13 years of age to register to vote, but, except for purposes of
  3 14 requesting and voting an absentee ballot, the registration does
  3 15 not become effective until the registrant turns 18 years of
  3 16 age.
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