Relating to the administration of city and school elections

This bill relates to the administration of combined city and school elections. The bill changes the withdrawal deadline for candidates in a school election from days before the election to days before the election, the same deadline for candidates in a city election.7 and requires the recount board for such recounts to file a report by the eighth day after the election. The bill changes the timeline for recounts for city runoff elections. The bill requires the canvass for such elections to be held on the first Monday or Tuesday after the day of the election. The bill requires a request for a recount of such an election to be filed by the day after the canvass, and the recount board to convene no later than the first Friday following the canvass. The bill requires the report of the recount board to be filed not later than the fourteenth day after the election. The bill requires the board of directors of a merged area to organize at the first regular or special meeting after the canvass of the regular school election. The bill also changes the date of the canvass for an election held in a merged area to the second Monday or Tuesday following an election, the same deadline for a second canvass required of certain cities and school districts pursuant to 2017 Iowa Acts, chapter 155, section 28. on the day following the last day on which petitions can be accepted to noon on that day. The bill allows the board of directors of a school corporation to organize at a special meeting called by the secretary of the board to organize the board after the canvass of an election for school board members. The bill creates rules regarding the canvassing and recounting of primary elections in cities located in more than one county. The bill changes the expiration date of the terms of office of members of boards of directors of a merged area or school district elected in September 2015 or 2017 to the day of the board’s organizational meeting following the election.