As of Feb. 19, Ballotpedia has tracked one election-related bill in the Iowa State Senate since the beginning of the year. Democrats sponsored the bill. The bill is:
- IA SF271: A bill for an act relating to the conduct of elections, including the recounting of ballots, the mailing of absentee ballots, and in-person absentee voting, Sen. Pam Jochum (D).
- Requires recount boards for counties with less than 25,000 people to have two designees for the requesting candidate, two designees for the current highest vote receiving candidate, and an individual chosen by the other four designees.
- Requires recount boards for counties [with] less than 90,000 but more than 25,000 to have three designees for the requesting candidate, three designees for the current highest vote receiving candidate, and an individual chosen by the other six designees.
- Requires recount boards for counties [with] more than 90,000 to have three designees for the requesting candidate, three designees for the current highest vote receiving candidate, and three individuals chosen by the other six designees.
- Allows recount boards to either complete the recount or have the county commissioner complete the recount. If the county commissioner is charged with the recount, the recount board will still oversee it.
- Allows the recount board to request a retabulation via automatic tabulating equipment per precinct, if they do, each undervote, overvote, or write-in ballot will be reviewed by the board.
- Requires the report from the board be signed by at least 2/3 of the board’s members.
- Changes the mailing of absentee ballots and absentee in person voting time frame from 20 days before the election or less to 45 days or less.
During the week of Feb. 13-19, Ballotpedia tracked 37 Senate election-related bills nationally. As of Feb. 19, Ballotpedia has tracked 551 Senate bills nationally. Ballotpedia tracked the most Senate bills this year in the New York State Senate with 107, while Ballotpedia tracked the fewest Senate bills in Delaware, Louisiana, and Massachusetts with zero. Republicans sponsored 246 of these bills, while Democrats sponsored 242. Third party sponsorship and bills with no sponsors accounted for 47 bills, while bipartisan legislators sponsored 16.
As of Feb. 19, Ballotpedia has tracked 301 Senate bills in Democratic trifectas and 189 Senate bills in Republican trifectas. A trifecta is when one political party holds the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Ballotpedia has tracked 61 Senate bills in states where neither party holds trifecta control.
The Iowa Senate is scheduled to be in session from Jan. 9 to April 28 this year. In 2022, Ballotpedia tracked nine Senate bills related to election administration. Two of these bills passed both chambers and both were enacted into law. Iowa is a Republican trifecta.
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