HF2118 • 2026

A bill for an act relating to an absentee ballot marking pilot program for voters with disabilities.

Elections Technology

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: YOUNG and DUNWELL
Last action: 2026-02-12
Official status: Subcommittee recommends passage.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the number of counties or the exact impact on voters with disabilities beyond what is stated in the bill.

Pilot Program for Absentee Ballot Marking for Voters with Disabilities

This bill creates a pilot program to help voters with disabilities who cannot mark ballots by hand to vote independently and privately using assistive technology.

What This Bill Does

Allows the state commissioner of elections to create rules for a pilot program that helps voters with disabilities mark absentee ballots.
Requires the program to include methods for voters with disabilities to request absentee ballots by mail.
Specifies that if the program is not statewide, it must be in enough counties to determine its feasibility.
Requires the state commissioner of elections to report annually on the pilot program's progress.

Who It Names or Affects

Voters with disabilities who cannot mark ballots by hand
The state commissioner of elections

Terms To Know

Pilot Program: A small-scale test to see if a new idea or method works well before it is used widely.
Assistive Technology: Devices and services that help people with disabilities do things more easily, like voting.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify which counties will participate in the pilot program.
It is unclear how many voters with disabilities will be able to use this program.

Bill History

2026-02-12 Iowa Legislature
Subcommittee recommends passage.
2026-02-11 Iowa Legislature
Subcommittee Meeting: 02/12/2026 12:15PM RM 19.
2026-01-27 Iowa Legislature
Subcommittee: Dunwell, Johnson, R. and Windschitl. H.J. 159 .
2026-01-21 Iowa Legislature
Introduced, referred to State Government. H.J. 131 .

Official Summary Text

A bill for an act relating to an absentee ballot marking pilot program for voters with disabilities.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

House

File

2118

-

Introduced

HOUSE

FILE

2118

BY

YOUNG

and

DUNWELL

A

BILL

FOR

An

Act

relating

to

an

absentee

ballot

marking

pilot

program

for

1

voters

with

disabilities.

2

BE

IT

ENACTED

BY

THE

GENERAL

ASSEMBLY

OF

THE

STATE

OF

IOWA:

3

TLSB

6052YH

(2)

91

ss/ns

H.F.

2118

Section

1.

NEW

SECTION

.

53.5

Absentee

ballot

marking

pilot

1

program.

2

1.

The

state

commissioner

may

adopt

rules

pursuant

3

to

chapter

17A

to

implement

a

pilot

program

to

establish

4

procedures

to

enable

a

voter

with

a

disability

that

prevents

5

the

voter

from

marking

a

ballot

by

hand

to

independently

and

6

privately

mark

a

ballot

or

use

an

electronic

voting

device

that

7

produces

a

paper

record

using

nonvisual

access,

low-vision

8

access,

or

other

assistive

technology

in

order

for

the

voter

to

9

complete

an

absentee

ballot

by

mail

pursuant

to

this

chapter.

10

The

procedures

must

include

a

method

by

which

a

voter

with

a

11

disability

that

prevents

the

voter

from

marking

a

ballot

by

12

hand

to

request

an

absentee

ballot

by

mail.

13

2.

If

the

pilot

program

under

this

section

is

not

14

implemented

statewide,

the

pilot

program

must

include

a

15

sufficient

number

of

counties,

as

determined

by

the

state

16

commissioner,

to

conclude

whether

the

program

is

feasible

17

statewide.

18

3.

The

state

commissioner

shall

file

a

report

with

the

19

general

assembly

by

December

31

of

each

year

regarding

the

20

pilot

program

established

under

this

section.

21

4.

This

section

is

repealed

July

1,

2029.

22

EXPLANATION

23

The

inclusion

of

this

explanation

does

not

constitute

agreement

with

24

the

explanation’s

substance

by

the

members

of

the

general

assembly.

25

This

bill

allows

the

state

commissioner

of

elections

to

26

adopt

rules

to

establish

a

pilot

program

to

allow

voters

with

27

disabilities

that

prevent

such

voters

from

marking

ballots

by

28

hand

to

independently

and

privately

mark

absentee

ballots,

29

including

by

the

use

of

assistive

technology.

The

bill

30

requires

that

the

program

include

a

method

by

which

such

voters

31

can

request

an

absentee

ballot

by

mail.

32

If

the

pilot

program

under

the

bill

is

not

established

33

statewide,

the

bill

requires

that

the

program

be

established

34

in

a

sufficient

number

of

counties

to

allow

the

state

35

-1-

LSB

6052YH

(2)

91

ss/ns

1/

2

H.F.

2118

commissioner

of

elections

to

determine

whether

the

program

is

1

feasible

statewide.

The

bill

requires

the

state

commissioner

2

of

elections

to

file

a

report

with

the

general

assembly

3

by

December

31

of

each

year

regarding

the

pilot

program

4

established

under

the

bill.

5

The

pilot

program

is

repealed

July

1,

2029.

6

-2-

LSB

6052YH

(2)

91

ss/ns

2/

2