All Roll Calls
Yes: 97 • No: 45
IowaHF 92891st General Assembly (2025–2026)House
A bill for an act relating to the recounting and contesting of elections, and providing penalties. (Formerly HF 596.) Effective date: 07/01/2025.
Sponsored By: COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
7 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 4 mixed.
Iowa audits address election counting problems
Beginning July 1, 2025, election commissioners can request administrative audits for suspected equipment or programming problems that may affect results. Reports of precinct counting errors after the official vote review also allow an audit. The special-precinct board conducts the audit, and each political party can appoint up to five observers. The board can proceed even if either or both parties appoint no observers.
Iowa moves official vote review dates
Beginning July 1, 2025, county boards officially review election results on the first Tuesday after an election, rather than Monday. Qualifying city and school elections have a second review on the second Tuesday. When a recount is requested, that second review must occur within two business days after the recount ends. Other election laws and public-holiday rules can change the schedule. The county board overseeing a merged area reviews its vote totals and declares results on the second Tuesday after election day. The option to meet on the second Monday is removed.
State can take over Iowa recounts
Beginning July 1, 2025, recount boards must follow the Iowa state election commissioner's guidance. The commissioner can halt a recount believed to violate the law, take custody of ballots and equipment, and assign replacement staff. A county commissioner believed to have purposefully violated recount law can face a civil penalty of up to $25,000. Penalties go to the state general fund.
Iowa election disputes gain court appeals
Beginning July 1, 2025, public-measure contest decisions and final election decisions by a committee can reach the Iowa Supreme Court. State-office contest judgments are also appealable there, rather than finally settling who holds office. A transcript of a state-office judgment keeps the force of a Supreme Court judgment, subject to appeal. A losing party in a county election contest has 20 days to appeal directly to the Supreme Court, replacing district-court review. An appellant holding the office needs a Supreme Court-approved bond to pause enforcement of the judgment. The bond must be at least twice the officer's expected six-month pay. It must require prompt pursuit of the appeal and repayment of compensation received if the judgment is upheld.
Iowa recount staffing and counting rules
Beginning July 1, 2025, recount boards consist of the election commissioner and staff. Election-day counters assigned to partisan recounts must include equal numbers from each political party. Each requesting candidate and apparent winner can choose and replace up to five observers per county. Recounts cover all ballots voted and counted for the office, including disputed ballots returned under election law. They must use automatic counting equipment and the same method across precincts. For state legislative races, the state commissioner can order hand counting; for local offices, the local commissioner can do so. Hand counting requires extraordinary problems, including machine failure during an initial recount, initial count/recount differences, or overvotes exceeding the winner–runner-up margin. Boards must convene by 9:00 a.m. on day seven after the commissioner receives the request. They must finish and file a report by day 18, signed by at least two-thirds of board members.
Iowa voters face measure recount requirements
Beginning July 1, 2025, public-measure recount petitions must be filed within three days after the official vote review ends. Statewide measures require a margin below 0.15%; other measures require a margin below the smaller of 1% or 50 votes. Statewide petitions go to the state commissioner; other petitions go to the county commissioner. Petitions need the greater of 10 eligible signers or a number equal to 1% of votes cast on the measure. Signers must have been eligible to vote on the measure, or eligible had they registered.
New recount rules for Iowa candidates
Beginning July 1, 2025, county candidate recounts require a margin below the smaller of 1% or 50 votes. Written requests are due by 5:00 p.m. on the third day after the county canvass; city runoffs allow only one day. Statewide and federal office requests go to the state commissioner by 5:00 p.m. the day after the county canvass. These require a margin below 0.15%, and the commissioner must order the recount to start within seven days. Other elections or nominations using the state process require a margin below the smaller of 1% or 50 votes. Outside that process, requests for offices spanning counties must be shared with every affected county, which must conduct the recount. Candidates for offices elected statewide cannot be required to pay more than one recount bond. Before a final recount report, the requesting candidate and apparent winner can submit a written agreement to every recount board. The boards then stop work and make the original results official.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT
Affiliation unavailable
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 4/14/2025
Passed Senate
Yes: 31 • No: 14
House vote • 3/25/2025
Passed House
Yes: 66 • No: 31
Actions Timeline
Signed by Governor.
6/2/2025HouseReported correctly enrolled, signed by Speaker and President, and sent to Governor.
5/19/2025HouseExplanation of vote.
4/22/2025HouseMessage from Senate.
4/15/2025HouseExplanation of vote.
4/15/2025HouseImmediate message.
4/14/2025SenatePassed Senate, yeas 31, nays 14.
4/14/2025SenateSubstituted for SF 543.
4/14/2025SenatePlaced on calendar under unfinished business.
4/3/2025SenateRead first time, attached to SF 543.
3/26/2025SenateMessage from House.
3/26/2025SenateImmediate message.
3/25/2025HousePassed House, yeas 66, nays 31.
3/25/2025HouseAmendment H-1155 adopted, as amended.
3/25/2025HouseAmendment H-1172 to amendment H-1155 filed, adopted.
3/25/2025HouseAmendment H-1155 filed.
3/24/2025HouseIntroduced, placed on calendar.
3/12/2025House
Bill Text
As Introduced
Enrolled
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