Iowa-2015-HF2145-Introduced
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:
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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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