A bill for an act relating to the conduct of elections.
HF 2501 updates Iowa's election administration rules. It requires immediate notification to the state commissioner when investigations into election misconduct occur, adds criteria for canceling incomplete voter registrations after 90 days, and revises recount procedures for public measures (setting specific vote-difference thresholds and requiring petitions signed by eligible voters). The bill also mandates tamper-evident seals on all election equipment, updates voting system testing standards to align with federal requirements, and clarifies deadlines for filing election objections. These changes primarily affect county election officials, voters, and election equipment vendors by modifying election conduct, security, and verification processes.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
House Passage
Apr 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Feb 16, 2026
Signed May 2, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons
What changed between versions
Enrolled with Governor's Action
→
Reprinted
·
5 edits
MODERATE
This bill amends Iowa election laws to address election misconduct, update voter registration cancellation procedures, modify recount thresholds for public measures, and adjust deadlines for election filings and security protocols. The changes aim to strengthen election integrity by clarifying investigation notifications, ensuring timely handling of incomplete registrations, and standardizing the timeline for filing nomination papers and conducting recounts.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of election oversight by adding new requirements for notifying state officials when election officials are investigated and by updating specific deadlines and thresholds for various election-related processes.
REQUIREMENT
Requires any entity investigating election officials to immediately notify the state commissioner and governor.
Adjusts the threshold for triggering a recount of public measures based on vote differences and petition signatures.
Updates rules for election equipment certification and physical security requirements.
TIMELINE
Updates deadlines for filing nomination papers and other election-related documents to specific dates relative to election days.
DEFINITION
Defines 'election day' to include specific dates related to in-person voting and absentee ballot processing.
Floor votes · Senate Mar 3, 2026
How they voted
44–0
Passed · 5 other
Total votes 49
Mar 3, 2026
D
Democratic15
86% Yea
R
Republican34
91% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
26
Key actions
9
Committee
0
Amendments
8
May 2, 2026
Signed into law
Signed by Governor.
lower
Apr 15, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate, yeas 31, nays 16.
upper
Apr 15, 2026
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred with S-5168.
upper
Apr 8, 2026
Introduced
Message from House, with amendment S-5168.
upper
Apr 7, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House, yeas 63, nays 29.
lower
Apr 7, 2026
Lower · Passed
House concurred in Senate amendment H-8131, as amended.
lower
Apr 7, 2026
Lower · Passed
Amendment H-8289 to Senate amendment H-8131 adopted.
lower
Apr 2, 2026
Introduced
Amendment H-8289 filed.
lower
Mar 3, 2026
Introduced
Senate amendment H-8131 filed.
lower
Mar 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate, yeas 44, nays 0.
upper
Mar 3, 2026
Introduced
Amendment S-5051 filed, adopted.
upper
Feb 25, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House, yeas 67, nays 25.
lower
Feb 25, 2026
Lower · Passed
Amendment H-8029 adopted, as amended.
lower
Feb 25, 2026
Introduced
Amendment H-8043 to amendment H-8029 filed, adopted.
lower
Feb 24, 2026
Introduced
Amendment H-8029 filed.
lower
Feb 16, 2026
Introduced
Introduced, placed on calendar.
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
No sponsor information available.
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