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May 02, 2026
The Honorable Paul Pate
Secretary of State of Iowa
State Capitol
Des Moine s, Iowa 50319
Dear Mr. Secretary,
I hereby transmit:
STATE OF IOWA
KIM R EYNOL DS
GOVERNOR
House File 2501, an Act relating to the conduct of elections.
The above Hou se File is hereby approved on this date.
cc: Secretary of the Senate
Clerk of the House
ST A TE CA PITO L D ES MOI N ES, IOWA 50319 515.281.5211 WWW .GOVE R N OR. IOWA .GOV
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AN ACT
RELATING TO THE CONDUCT OF ELECTIONS.
House File 2501
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
DIVISION I
ELECTION MISCONDUCT ~ INVESTIGATION
Section 1. Section 39A.l, Code 2026, is amended by adding
the following new subsection:
NEW SUBSECTION. 2A. For purposes of this chapter, ~election
day- includes any day on which voting takes place in person,
including pursuant to section 53.10 or 53.11.
Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 39A.8 Investigation of election
officials ~ notification.
A law enforcement agency or other entity of the state
or a political subdivision of the state that conducts an
investigation of an election, the actions of election
officials, or election misconduct shall immediately notify the
state commissioner, except that the governor shall immediately
be notified of an investigation of the state commissioner.
House File 2501, p. 2
DIVISION II
CANCELLATION OF VOTER REGISTRATION
Sec. 3. Section 48A.30, subsection 1, Code 2026, is amended
by adding the following new paragraph:
NEW PARAGRAPH. i. The registration has been designated
as incomplete, pending, or unconfirmed pursuant to section
48A.37, subsection 2, for ninety days, and the commissioner has
been unable to contact the registrant, or the registrant has
failed to submit sufficient information to complete, verify,
or correct the defect in the registration following contact by
the commissioner.
DIVISION III
ELECTION RECOUNTS ~ PUBLIC MEASURES
Sec. 4. Section 50.49, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2026, are
amended to read as follows:
1. A recount for any public measure shall be ordered by the
board of canvassers if a petition requesting a recount is filed
with the state commissioner for a public measure voted on by
the electors of the entire state, or the county commissioner
for all other public measures, not later than three days after
the completion of the canvass of votes for the election at
which the question appeared on the ballot and the abstracts
prepared pursuant to section 50.24 indicate that the difference
between the affirmative and negative votes cast on the public
measure is less than fifteen hundredths of one percent for a
public measure voted on by the electors of the entire state,
or less than either one percent or fifty votes, whichever is
lesser, for all other public measures. For a public measure
that is not voted on by the electors of the entire state and
that requires the affirmative vote of at least sixty percent of
the votes cast on the public measure, the abstracts prepared
pursuant to section 50.24 must indicate that the difference
between passage and defeat of the public measure is less than
either one percent or fifty votes, whichever is lesser. The
petition shall be signed by the greater of not less than ten
eligible electors or a number of eligible electors equaling
one percent of the total number of votes cast upon the public
measure. Each petitioner must be a person who was entitled to
vote on the public measure in question or would have been so
House File 2501, p. 3
entitled if registered to vote.
2. The recount shall be conducted by a board which shall
consist of~ the commissioner and the commissioner's staff,
which may include persons employed by the commissioner to tally
ballots during the election.
a. A desig8ee 8amed i8 tfie petitio8 reqttesti8g tfie recott8t.
b. A desig8ee 8amed by tfie commissio8eE at or before tfie
time tfie board is reqttired to C08Ve8e.
c. A perso8 cfiose8 joi8tly by tfie members desig8ated tt8der
paragrapfis ''a''a8d "b".
Sec. 5. Section 50.49, subsection 3, Code 2026, is amended
to read as follows:
3. The commissioner shall convene the persons designated
under subsection 2, paragrapfis "a" a8d "b", not later than 9:00
a.m. on the seventh day following the canvass of the election
in question. If tfiose two members ca880t agree 08 tfie tfiird
member by 8:00 a.m. 08 tfie 8i8tfi day followi8g tfie ca8vass,
tfiey sfiall immediately 8otify tfie cfiief jttdge of tfie jttdicial
district i8 wfiicfi tfie ca8vass is occttrriag, wfio sfiall appoi8t
tfie tfiird member aot later tfia8 5:00 p.m. oa tfie eleveatfi day
followiag tfie caavass.
DIVISION IV
ELECTION SECURITY
Sec. 6. Section 52.5, subsection 2, Code 2026, is amended
to read as follows:
2. The state commissioner shall formulate, with the advice
and assistance of the examiners, and adopt rules governing the
testing and examination of any optical scan voting system by
the board of examiners. The rules shall prescribe the method
to be used in determining whether the system is suitable for
use within the state and performance standards for voting
equipment in use within the state. The rules shall provide
that all optical scan voting systems approved for use by the
examiners after April 9, 2003, shall meet voting systems
performance and test standards, as adopted by the federal
United States election assistance commission oa April 30,
~, and as deemed adopted by the federal Help America Vote
Act, Pub. L. No. 107-252, ~ 116 Stat. 1666. The rules
shall include standards for determining when recertification
House File 2501, p. 4
is necessary following modifications to the equipment or to
the programs used in tabulating votes, and a procedure for
rescinding certification if a system is found not to comply
with performance standards adopted by the state commissioner.
Sec. 7. NEW SECTION. 52.39 Election equipment~ physical
security.
Election equipment, including election equipment not
currently in use, shall be secured by a tamper-evident seal at
all times.
DIVISION V
SPECIAL PRECINCT ELECTION BOARD
Sec. 8. Section 53.23, subsection 3, paragraph a, Code 2026,
is amended to read as follows:
a. The commissioner shall set a convening time for the
board of no later than 9:00 a.m. on election day for a general
election or a statewide special election, allowing a reasonable
amount of time to complete counting all absentee ballots by
10:00 p.m. on election day.
DIVISION VI
LOCAL ELECTION FILINGS
Sec. 9. Section 44.8, subsection 1 , Code 2026, is amended
to read as follows:
1. Objections filed with the city clerk commissioner
pursuant to section 277.5 or 362.4 er with the ceffliftissieHer
for an elective city office shall be considered by the ffiayer
aHd clerk aHd eHe ffieffiber of the cettHcil cheseH by the cettHcil
by ballet, aHd a ffiajerity deeisieH shall be fiHal as provided
in section 44.7, except as otherwise provided in this section.
However, if the ebjectieH is to the certificate of HOffiiHatieH
of either of these city officials, that official shall Hot pass
ttpeH the ebjectieH, bttt the official's place shall be filled by
a ffieffiber of the cettHcil agaiHst wheffi He sttch ebjectieH exists,
cheseH as above provided.
Sec. 10. Section 44.9, subsections 2, 3, and 5, Code 2026,
are amended to read as follows:
2. In the office of the appropriate commissioner, at least
seventy-four days before the date of the election, except as
otherwise provided in subsection 3, 5, or 6.
3. In the office of the appropriate school beard secretary
House File 2501, p. 5
commissioner in case of a regularly scheduled school election,
at least forty-two days before the day of a regularly scheduled
school election.
5. In the office of the appropriate commissioner ef"
school board secretary in case of a special election to
fill vacancies, at least twenty-five days before the day of
election.
Sec. 11. Section 44.11, Code 2026, is amended to read as
follows:
44.11 Vacan c ies filled.
If a candidate named under this chapter withdraws or dies
before the deadline established in section 44.9, declines
a nomination, or if a certificate of nomination is held
insufficient or inoperative by the officer with whom it
is required to be filed, or in case any objection made to
a certificate of nomination, or to the eligibility of any
candidate named in the certificate, is sustained by the board
appointed to determine such questions, the vacancy or vacancies
may be filled by the convention, or caucus, or in such manner
as such convention or caucus has previously provided. The
vacancy or vacancies shall be filled not less than seventy-six
days before the election in the case of nominations required to
be filed with the state commissioner, not less than sixty-nine
days before the election in the case of nominations required to
be filed with the commissioner, not less than forty-two days
before the election in the case of nominations required to be
filed in the office of the school board secretary with the
commissioner for school elections, and not less than forty-two
days before the election in the case of nominations required to
be filed with the commissioner for city elections.
Sec. 12. Section 275.25, subsection 1, paragraph b, Code
2026, is amended to read as follows:
b. The election shall be conducted as provided in section
277.3, and nomination petitions shall be filed pursuant to
section 277.4, except as otherwise provided in this subsection.
Nomination petitions shall be filed w ith the secretary of the
board of the existing school district in which the candidate
resides county commissioner of elections described in paragraph
''a-not less than twenty-eight days before the date set for the
House File 2501, p. 6
special school election. The secretary of the board county
commissioner of elections, or the secretary's commissioner's
designee, shall be present in the secretary's commissioner's
office until 5:00 p.m. on the final day to file the nomination
papers. ~he aomination papers shall be delivered to the
coHl:fftissioaer no later thaa 5:00 p.m. OH the twenty seveath day
before the electioa.
Sec. 13. Section 277.4, subsections 1, 3, and 4, Code 2026,
are amended to read as follows:
1. Nomination papers for all candidates for election
to office in each school district shall be filed w ith the
secretary of the school board county commissioner of elections
not more than seventy-one days nor less than forty-seven days
before the election. Nomination petitions shall be filed
not later than 5:00 p.m. on the last day for filing. If the
school board secretary is aot readily available duriag aormal
office hours, the secretary may desigaate a full time employee
of the school district who is ordinarily available to accept
nomination papers uader this sectioa. On the final date for
filing nomination papersL the office of the school secretary
county commissioner of elections shall remain open until 5:00
p.m.
3. The secretary of the school board county commissioner
of elections shall accept the petition for filing if on its
face it appears to have the requisite number of signatures
and if it is timely filed. The secretary of the school board
county commissioner of elections shall note upon each petition
and affidavit accepted for filing the date and time that the
petition was filed. The secretary of the school board shall
deliver all aomiaatiea petitioas, together with the complete
text of any public measure being submitted by the board to the
electorateT to the county commissioner of elections on the day
following the last day on which nomination petitions can be
filed, and not later than 12:00 noon on that day.
4. Any person on whose behalf nomination petitions have been
filed under this section may withdraw as a candidate by filing
a signed statement to that effect with the secretary county
commissioner of elections consistent with section 44.9.
Sec. 14. Section 277.5, Code 2026, is amended to read as
House File 2501, p. 7
follows:
277.5 Objections to nominations.
1. Objections to the legal sufficiency of a nomination
petition or to the eligibility of a candidate may be filed by
any person who would have the right to vote for a candidate for
the office in question. The objection must be filed with the
secretary of the school board county commissioner of elections
at least forty-two days before the day of the school election.
When objections are filed~ notice shall forthwith be given to
the candidate affected, addressed to the candidate's place
of residence as given on the candidate's affidavit, stating
that objections have been made to the legal sufficiency of
the petition or to the eligibility of the candidate, and also
stating the time and place the objections will be considered.
2. Objections shall be considered not later than two working
days following the receipt of the objections by the president
of the school board, the secretary of the school board, and
one additional member of the school board chosen by ballot.
If objections have been filed to the nominations of either of
those school officials, that official shall not pass on the
objection. Phe official's place shall be filled by a member
of the school board against whom no objection exists. Phe
replacement shall be chosen by ballot as provided in section
44.7.
Sec. 15. Section 279.6, subsection 1, paragraph b,
subparagraph (1), Code 2026, is amended to read as follows:
(1) If within fourteen days after publication of a notice
required pursuant to paragraph ~aN for a vacancy that occurs
more than one hundred eighty days before the next regular
school election, or after the filing period closes pursuant
to section 277.4, subsection 1, for the next regular school
election, there is filed with the secretary of the school
board county commissioner of elections a petition requesting a
special election to fill the vacancy, an appointment to fill
the vacancy is temporary until a successor is elected and
qualified, and the board shall call a special election pursuant
to section 279.7, to fill the vacancy for the remaining balance
of the unexpired term.
Sec. 16. Section 279.6, subsection 2, Code 2026, is amended
House File 2501, p. 8
to read as follows:
2. A vacancy shall be filled at the next regular school
election if a member of a school board resigns from the
board not later than forty-five days before the election
and the notice of resignation specifies an effective date
at the beginning of the next term of off ice for elective
school officials. The president of the board shall declare
the office vacant as of the date of the next organizational
meeting. Nomination papers shall be reeeived filed with the
county commissioner of elections for the unexpired term of
the resigning member. The person elected at the next regular
school election to fill the vacancy shall take office at the
same time and place as the other elected school board members.
Sec. 17. Section 362.4, subsection 3, Code 2026, is amended
to read as follows:
3. Petitions which have been accepted for filing are
valid unless written objections are filed with the eity elerk
commissioner within five working days after the petition is
received. The objection process in section 44.8 shall be
followed.
Sec. 18. Section 376.4, subsections 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6, Code
2026, are amended to read as follows:
1. a. An eligible elector of a city may become a candidate
for an elective city office by filing with the county
commissioner of elections responsible under section 47.2
for conducting elections held for the city a valid petition
requesting that the elector·s name be placed on the ballot for
that office, or by filiHg a valid petitioH \iitfi tfie desigHated
eity elerk. The petition must be filed not more than
seventy-one days and not less than forty-seven days before the
date of the election, and must be signed by eligible electors
equal in number to at least two percent of those who voted to
fill the same office at the last regular city election, but not
less than ten persons. However, for those cities which may be
required to hold a primary election, the petition must be filed
not more than eighty-five days and not less than sixty-eight
days before the date of the regular city election. Nomination
petitions shall be filed not later than 5:00 p.m. on the last
day for filing.
House File 2501, p. 9
b. The petitioners for an individual seeking election from
a ward must be residents of the ward at the time of signing the
petition. An individual is not eligible for election from a
ward unless the individual is a resident of the ward at the
time the individual files the petition and at the time of
election.
c. ~fie cottaty commissioaer ffiay desigaate the city clerk of
a city to receive aoffiiaatioa papers for elective city offices.
If so desigaated, the city clerk shall have all the dttties of
the cottaty commissioaer provided ia this sectioa.
3. On the final date for filing nomination papers the office
of the county commissioner aad the office of the city clerk
desigaated pttrsttaat to sttbsectioa 1 shall remain open until
5:00 p.m.
4. The county commissioner or the city clerk desigaated
pttrsttaat to sttbsectioa 1 shall review each petition and
affidavit of candidacy for completeness following the standards
in section 45.5 and shall accept the petition for filing
if on its face it appears to have the requisite number of
signatures and if it is timely filed. The county commissioner
or the desigaated city clerk shall note upon each petition and
affidavit accepted for filing the date and time that they were
filed. The county commissioner or the desigaated city clerk
shall return any rejected nomination papers to the person on
whose behalf the nomination papers were filed.
5. Nomination papers filed with the county commissioner ef
tfie city clerk desigaated pttrsttant to sttbsectioa 1 shall be
available for public inspection.
6. The city clerk shall deliver the text of any public
measure being submitted by the city council to the electorate
to the county commissioner of elections. If the cottnty
commissioaer has desigaated the city clerk to recei?e
noffiiaatioa papers for elective city offices pttFsttaat to
sttbsectioa 1, the city clerk shall deliver the HOffiiaatioa
papers accepted for filiag to the cottaty commissioaer. The
text of any public measure and nomination papers required to
be delivered under this subsection shall be delivered no later
than the day after the last day on which nomination petitions
can be filed, and not later than 12:00 noon on that day.
House File 2501, p. 10
Sec. 19. Section 376.10, Code 2026, is amended to read as
follows:
376.10 Contest.
A nomination or election to a city office may be contested in
the manner provided in chapter 62 for contesting elections to
county offices, except that a statement of intent to contest
must be filed with the city clerk county commissioner of
elections within ten days after the nomination or election.
Sec. 20. Section 376.11, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2026, are
amended to read as follows:
1. Write-in votes are permitted to be cast in all elections
for city offices. A person who receives a sufficient number of
write-in votes to be elected to a city office shall be declared
the winner of the election. If the result is a tie vote, lots
shall be drawn pursuant to section 50.44. If a person who was
elected by write-in votes chooses not to serve in that office,
the person shall submit a resignation in writing to the e-:i:-ty
clerk county commissioner of elections not later than 5:00 p.m.
on the tenth day following the canvass of the election. If a
person who was elected by write-in votes resigns at a later
time, the office shall be considered vacant at the end of the
term and the council shall fill the vacancy pursuant to the
provisions of section 372.13, subsection 2.
2. Except in cities where the council has chosen a runoff
election in lieu of a primary, following the resignation of
a person who was elected by write-in votes, the city clerk
shall notify the person who received the next highest number
of votes cast for the office that the person may assume the
office. If there is more than one person who received the
next highest number of votes cast for the office, lots shall
be drawn pursuant to section 50.44 to determine the person
who received the next highest number of votes. If the person
accepts the position, the person shall be considered the
duly elected officer unless, within ten days after the clerk
county commissioner of elections has given notice, a petition
requesting a special election is filed by eligible electors of
the city equal in number to twenty-five percent of the number
of persons who voted for the office at the election. If the
person declines, the person shall do so in writing to the e-:i:-ty
House File 2501, p. 11
clerk county commissioner of elections within ten days and the
off ice shall be considered vacant at the end of the term. The
vacancy shall be filled pursuant to the provisions of section
372.13, subsection 2. If the council chooses to appoint, the
appointment may be made before the end of the current term.
DIVISION VII
VOTER IDENTIFICATION ~ ATTESTATION OF ANOTHER
Sec. 21. Section 49.78, subsections 4 and 5, Code 2026, are
amended by striking the subsections.
Sec. 22. Section 49.78, subsection 6, Code 2026, is amended
to read as follows:
6. A voter who is not otherwise disqualified from voting
and who has established identity under subsection 27 or 3.,-er
4 shall be furnished a ballot and be allowed to vote under
section 49.77.
Sec. 23. Section 49.81, subsection 2, Code 2026, is amended
to read as follows:
2. A prospective voter who is unable to establish
identity under section 49.78, subsection 2, paragraph ''a~, or
section 49.78, subsection 3 e-t=--4, shall be notified by the
appropriate precinct election official that the voter may cast
a provisional ballot. The voter shall mark the ballot and
immediately seal it in an envelope of the type prescribed by
subsection 5. The voter shall deliver the sealed envelope to a
precinct election official who shall deposit it in an envelope
marked "provisional ballots". The ballot shall be considered
as having been cast in the special precinct established by
section 53.20 for purposes of the postelection canvass.
DIVISION VIII
HOSPITAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES ELECTIONS
Sec. 24. HOSPITAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES ELECTIONS.
Notwithstanding section 347.9, for elections held pursuant
to section 347.9 in 2026, if there are seven trustees on the
board and five trustees are to be elected, the four elected who
receive the highest number of votes are elected for four-year
terms. The remaining trustee is elected for a two-year term.
In case of a tie, the county auditor shall determine by lot
which of the trustees with the lowest number of winning votes
shall serve the two-year term and thereafter their successor
House File 2501, p. 12
shall be elected for regular terms as provided in section
347.9.
Speaker o
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and
is known as House File 2501, Ninety-first General Assembly.
Approved 11, z"' , 2026
Governor