Read the full stored bill text
Senate
File
561
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
561
BY
TRONE
GARRIOTT
,
WAHLS
,
ZIMMER
,
DONAHUE
,
DOTZLER
,
WEINER
,
BLAKE
,
and
TOWNSEND
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
allowing
the
use
of
ranked
choice
and
instant
runoff
1
voting
in
local
government
elections
in
this
state.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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561
Section
1.
Section
43.37,
Code
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
1
follows:
2
43.37
Number
of
votes
permitted
per
office
——
authorized
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
conducted
for
a
local
government
office
10
in
this
state
may
be
conducted
using
ranked
choice
voting
or
11
instant
runoff
voting.
12
b.
For
purposes
of
this
subsection:
13
(1)
“Local
government”
means
an
incorporated
city
or
town,
14
an
unincorporated
city
or
town,
a
county,
a
school,
or
any
15
other
political
subdivision
of
the
state.
16
(2)
“Ranked
choice
voting”
or
“instant
runoff
voting”
means
17
a
method
of
casting
and
tabulating
votes
in
which
a
voter
18
ranks
candidates
in
order
of
preference,
tabulation
of
ballots
19
proceeds
in
rounds
such
that
in
each
round
either
a
candidate
20
is
elected
or
the
candidate
receiving
the
fewest
votes
is
21
defeated,
votes
are
transferred
from
elected
or
defeated
22
candidates
to
a
voter’s
next-ranked
candidate
in
order
of
23
preference,
and
tabulation
ends
when
a
candidate
receives
the
24
majority
of
votes
cast
or
the
number
of
candidates
elected
25
equals
the
number
of
offices
to
be
filled,
as
applicable.
26
Sec.
2.
Section
49.93,
Code
2025,
is
amended
to
read
as
27
follows:
28
49.93
Number
of
votes
for
each
office
——
authorized
methods
.
29
1.
For
an
office
to
which
one
person
is
to
be
elected,
a
30
voter
shall
not
vote
for
more
than
one
candidate.
If
two
or
31
more
persons
are
to
be
elected
to
an
office,
the
voter
shall
32
vote
for
no
more
than
the
number
of
persons
to
be
elected.
If
a
33
person
votes
for
more
than
the
permitted
number
of
candidates,
34
the
vote
for
that
office
shall
not
count.
Valid
votes
cast
on
35
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561
the
rest
of
the
ballot
shall
be
counted.
1
2.
a.
An
election
conducted
for
a
local
government
office
2
in
this
state
may
be
conducted
using
ranked
choice
voting
or
3
instant
runoff
voting.
4
b.
For
purposes
of
this
subsection:
5
(1)
“Local
government”
means
an
incorporated
city
or
town,
6
an
unincorporated
city
or
town,
a
county,
a
school,
or
any
7
other
political
subdivision
of
the
state.
8
(2)
“Ranked
choice
voting”
or
“instant
runoff
voting”
means
9
a
method
of
casting
and
tabulating
votes
in
which
a
voter
10
ranks
candidates
in
order
of
preference,
tabulation
of
ballots
11
proceeds
in
rounds
such
that
in
each
round
either
a
candidate
12
is
elected
or
the
candidate
receiving
the
fewest
votes
is
13
defeated,
votes
are
transferred
from
elected
or
defeated
14
candidates
to
a
voter’s
next-ranked
candidate
in
order
of
15
preference,
and
tabulation
ends
when
a
candidate
receives
the
16
majority
of
votes
cast
or
the
number
of
candidates
elected
17
equals
the
number
of
offices
to
be
filled,
as
applicable.
18
EXPLANATION
19
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
20
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
21
This
bill
allows
ranked
choice
and
instant
runoff
voting,
22
defined
in
the
bill,
to
be
used
to
cast
or
tabulate
ballots
in
23
elections
for
local
government
offices,
defined
in
the
bill.
24
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