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Senate
File
459
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
459
BY
COMMITTEE
ON
STATE
GOVERNMENT
(SUCCESSOR
TO
SSB
1128)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
prohibiting
the
use
of
ranked
choice
and
instant
runoff
1
voting
in
elections
in
this
state.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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459
Section
1.
Section
43.37,
Code
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
1
follows:
2
43.37
Number
of
votes
permitted
per
office
——
prohibited
3
methods
.
4
1.
The
elector
shall
be
permitted
to
vote
for
no
more
5
candidates
for
any
office
than
there
are
persons
to
be
elected
6
to
the
office.
If
an
elector
votes
for
more
persons
for
any
7
office
than
the
number
permitted,
the
elector’s
ballot
shall
8
not
be
counted
for
that
office.
9
2.
a.
An
election
in
this
state
shall
not
be
conducted
10
using
ranked
choice
voting
or
instant
runoff
voting,
including
11
an
election
for
any
statewide,
local
government,
or
other
12
office.
13
b.
For
purposes
of
this
subsection:
14
(1)
“Local
government”
means
an
incorporated
city
or
town,
15
an
unincorporated
city
or
town,
a
county,
a
school,
or
any
16
other
political
subdivision
of
the
state.
17
(2)
“Ranked
choice
voting”
or
“instant
runoff
voting”
means
18
a
method
of
casting
and
tabulating
votes
in
which
a
voter
19
ranks
candidates
in
order
of
preference,
tabulation
of
ballots
20
proceeds
in
rounds
such
that
in
each
round
either
a
candidate
21
is
elected
or
the
candidate
receiving
the
fewest
votes
is
22
defeated,
votes
are
transferred
from
elected
or
defeated
23
candidates
to
a
voter’s
next-ranked
candidate
in
order
of
24
preference,
and
tabulation
ends
when
a
candidate
receives
the
25
majority
of
votes
cast
or
the
number
of
candidates
elected
26
equals
the
number
of
offices
to
be
filled,
as
applicable.
27
Sec.
2.
Section
49.93,
Code
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
28
follows:
29
49.93
Number
of
votes
for
each
office
——
prohibited
methods
.
30
1.
For
an
office
to
which
one
person
is
to
be
elected,
a
31
voter
shall
not
vote
for
more
than
one
candidate.
If
two
or
32
more
persons
are
to
be
elected
to
an
office,
the
voter
shall
33
vote
for
no
more
than
the
number
of
persons
to
be
elected.
If
a
34
person
votes
for
more
than
the
permitted
number
of
candidates,
35
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S.F.
459
the
vote
for
that
office
shall
not
count.
Valid
votes
cast
on
1
the
rest
of
the
ballot
shall
be
counted.
2
2.
a.
An
election
in
this
state
shall
not
be
conducted
3
using
ranked
choice
voting
or
instant
runoff
voting,
including
4
an
election
for
any
statewide,
local
government,
or
other
5
office.
6
b.
For
purposes
of
this
subsection:
7
(1)
“Local
government”
means
an
incorporated
city
or
town,
8
an
unincorporated
city
or
town,
a
county,
a
school,
or
any
9
other
political
subdivision
of
the
state.
10
(2)
“Ranked
choice
voting”
or
“instant
runoff
voting”
means
11
a
method
of
casting
and
tabulating
votes
in
which
a
voter
12
ranks
candidates
in
order
of
preference,
tabulation
of
ballots
13
proceeds
in
rounds
such
that
in
each
round
either
a
candidate
14
is
elected
or
the
candidate
receiving
the
fewest
votes
is
15
defeated,
votes
are
transferred
from
elected
or
defeated
16
candidates
to
a
voter’s
next-ranked
candidate
in
order
of
17
preference,
and
tabulation
ends
when
a
candidate
receives
the
18
majority
of
votes
cast
or
the
number
of
candidates
elected
19
equals
the
number
of
offices
to
be
filled,
as
applicable.
20
EXPLANATION
21
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
22
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
23
This
bill
prohibits
ranked
choice
and
instant
runoff
voting,
24
defined
in
the
bill,
from
being
used
to
cast
or
tabulate
25
ballots
in
any
election
in
this
state,
including
in
elections
26
for
local
government
offices,
defined
in
the
bill.
27
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