Laws governing local ballot measures in Iowa

Laws Governing Local Ballot Measures

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Terms

Initiative • Home rule • General law city • Charter city • Petition • Initiative petition circulation periods • Circulator • Paid circulator • Volunteer circulator • Circulator affidavit • Signer • Valid signature • Forged signature • Fraudulent signature • Invalid signature • Electronic petition signature • Legislative alteration • Registered voter

This page describes the state constitutional provisions and statutes that govern local ballot measures in Iowa. Jurisdictions often establish additional rules within the parameters of state law; those can be found in local ordinances and home-rule charters.

Explore the links below for more information:

• Laws addressing local ballot measure powers in Iowa
• General requirements for local ballot measures
• Rules for citizen-initiated local ballot measures
• Rules for referred local ballot measures

Law

The Iowa State Code establishes the rules that govern local ballot measures in the state. It can be accessed here.

General

The following outlines the general rules that govern local ballot measures in Iowa, including both citizen-initiated measures and referred measures from local government bodies.

• Election timing:
  • Referred measures: Bond issues must be placed on the ballot on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. County charter amendments must be placed on the ballot at the soonest possible election.
  • Citizen-initiated measures: A veto referendum challenging a bond issue must be placed on the ballot at a special election.

• Vote requirements: Measures that authorize bonds in a county, city, school corporation, or other local district must be approved by 60% of people voting on the measure. For a measure that would create a new school corporation to be approved, it must achieve a simple majority and it must receive a majority in 75% of all districts voting on the measure.

• Required ballot measures: School corporation bonds must be approved by voters. County charter amendments must be approved by voters.

• Number of measures on the ballot: State law specifically allows more than one local option tax measure to be placed on the ballot at the same time. If the measures conflict, only the measure with the earliest submitted petition will be placed on the ballot. Once a proposed county charter is rejected by the people at an election, a new county charter may not be placed on the ballot again for two years. If a proposed county charter is approved by the people, a new county charter may not be placed on the ballot again for six years.

Initiatives

The following outlines the general rules that govern local citizen-initiated ballot measures in Iowa.

• Authority: Iowa state law does not grant voters the ability to use the initiative and referendum process locally, though some individual home rule charters do grant voters that right. Voters living under a home rule charter have the right to initiate amendments to it. State law provides voters with the authority to initiate laws that create local vehicle taxes and sales and services taxes. It grants voters the right to file a veto referendum challenging a local bond issue. When voters file a veto referendum against a bond, the local governing body can either repeal the bond issue or place the measure on the ballot for voters to decide.

• Deadlines:
  • Veto referendums: Petitions that challenge a school district's participation in an instructional support program must be submitted within 28 days after the school board adopts the resolution. Petitions challenging county bonds must be filed within 20 days after the proposed bond issue is passed. A petition challenging a general obligation bond in a special service area tax district must be filed with the county commissioner of elections within 15 days after the county board of supervisors takes action on the bond.
  • Citizen-initiated laws: Voters cannot file a petition to redraw school district boundary lines until six months have passed since the districts affected last issued general obligation bonds. A petition that would discontinue a tax levied to fund school library purposes must be submitted to the school board secretary at least 75 days before the next regular school election. A proposed charter for county government must be submitted at least five days before the filing deadline for candidates for county offices. Miscellaneous petitions in counties must be filed with the board of supervisors at least 82 days before the general election, and the board of supervisors must verify valid petitions at least 69 days before the general election. Any objections to a petition must be filed within 5 days of filing.

• Signatures:
  • Veto referendums: A petition that challenges a local bond issue must be signed by 3% of registered voters in the locality. A petition that would challenge a school district's participation in an instructional support program must be signed by 30% of voters at the last regular school election, or 100 people, whichever is greater. A petition that would discontinue a district's educational improvement program must be signed by 30% of voters at the last regular school election, or 100 people, whichever is greater. Petitions challenging county bounds must be signed by 20% of votes cast in the last election for governor. A petition challenging a general obligation bond in a special service area tax district must be signed by 5% of registered voters in the district. A petition challenging an essential county purpose bond must be signed by 20% of the votes cast in the last election for president. A petition challenging a proposed revenue bond benefiting a county public hospital must be signed by a number of people equal to or greater than 20% of the votes cast in the last election for governor. A petition challenging a general obligation bond in a city must be signed by a number of people equal to or greater than 20% of votes cast for president in the last general election.
  • Citizen-initiated laws: A petition that would create a local vehicle tax or a local sales and service tax must be signed by a number of voters equal to 5% of those voting in the last general election. A petition that would grant school districts the ability to levy a physical plant and equipment tax must be signed by 30% of eligible voters that voted in the last regular school election, or 100 people, whichever is greater. A petition that would redraw school district boundary lines must be signed by 20% of registered voters in the school district, or the portion affected, or 400 people, whichever is smaller. A petition that would discontinue a tax levied to fund school library purposes must be signed by 30% of voters in the last school election or 100 people, whichever is greater. A petition that would change the form of county government must be signed by 10,000 people or a number of voters equaling 25% of votes for the office of either the president or governor at the last general election, whichever is fewer. A petition that would result in a city joining a city-county consolidation charter commission must be signed by 25% of voters in the last regular city election. A petition that would result in a county joining an existing multicounty consolidated government must be signed by a number of voters equaling 25% of votes for the office of either the president or governor at the last general election, whichever is fewer. A petition that would incorporate a city, discontinue a city's incorporation, or adjust a city's boundaries must be signed by 5% of registered voters in the territory. Miscellaneous petitions in counties must be signed by a number of voters equal to 10% of the votes cast in the last general election for president or governor.

Referrals

The following outlines additional rules that govern local referred ballot measures in Iowa.

• Authority: A school board can place a question on the ballot that would allow the district to participate in an instructional support program. School districts that participate in an instructional support program can also place a question on the ballot that would allow the district to participate in an educational improvement program.

• Deadlines: Most deadlines for local referrals in Iowa are determined by local laws, not state law.

Laws governing local ballot measures in the U.S.

Laws governing local ballot measures in the United States

As state laws govern ballot measures, the rules are different from state to state. Click on a state below to explore that state's laws on local ballot measures.

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http://ballotpedia.org/Laws_governing_local_ballot_measures_in_STATE

External links

• Iowa Law
• Legislative Guide to Iowa Local Government Initiative and Referendum

See also

• Laws governing ballot measures
• Laws governing local ballot measures
• Local ballot measures, Iowa
• Counties in Iowa

Footnotes

Laws governing ballot measures in the United States

Laws governing ballot measures

Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming

Changes to laws governing ballot measures

Types of ballot measures

Citizen-initiated ballot measures • Legislatively referred ballot measures • Automatically referred ballot measures • Commission-referred ballot measures • Convention-referred constitutional amendments

Ballot measure policy terms

Glossary of ballot measure policy terms