Bills › 91st General Assembly
Requiring primary elections for the nomination of candidates for city, school district, and merged area elections, and including applicability provisions
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedJanuary 14, 2025
- Done: SubcommitteeJanuary 14, 2025
- Stopped: Senate committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: House committeeFunnel: by March 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the House
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The General Assembly adjourned on October 2, 2026. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
This bill relates to nominations of candidates for elections to city, school district, and merged area offices. The bill requires candidates for such elections to be nominated by primary elections held pursuant to Code chapter (partisan nominations —— primary election). Currently such elections are nonpartisan except for special charter cities under Code chapter 420. The bill repeals other methods for the nomination of candidates, including nominations by petition and runoff elections. The bill allows the board of supervisors of a county to decide whether to conduct an election using an optical scan voting system or by counting ballots by hand. The bill applies to elections held on or after January 1, 2027.
From the explanation printed with the bill as introduced, written by the Legislative Services Agency. Amendments adopted later aren’t reflected. Full bill text
Senate subcommittee
Named January 13, 2026. It hasn’t reported yet.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part
Iowa Code it changes
Amends§260C.15§275.25§277.4§277.5§279.6§279.7§331.383§376.11§376.3§376.4§376.5§376.7§376.8§420.126§420.137§43.112§43.114§43.115§43.116§43.118§43.24§43.78§45.1§49.31§50.48§69.12
Read from the bill as introduced. Each links to every bill touching that chapter of the Iowa Code. How the Code works
Lobbying
1 for · 11 against · 8 undecided · Who →
Family tree
Where this legislation came from and where it went: earlier tries, the versions it moved through this Assembly, and later bills built on it.
Tried before
Study bill
91st General Assembly
Earlier and later bills are matched by wording or an identical title; check the text to be sure it’s the same idea.
Tried before
This idea has been filed in 2 earlier General Assemblies. None got through a chamber.
- HF 2480 Requiring primary elections for the nomination of candidates for city, school district, an…90th General Assembly · In committee · same titleCleared committee
- SF 23 Requiring primary elections for the nomination of candidates for city, school district, an…90th General Assembly · In committee · same titleCleared committee
- SF 2238 Requiring primary elections for the nomination of candidates for city, school district, an…89th General Assembly · In committee · same titleCleared committee
Matched by the wording of each bill’s explanation, or an identical title. Companion bills and renumbered versions of this bill aren’t listed; they’re the same bill.