A bill for an act relating to the conduct of elections, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

This bill (HSB 281) updates Iowa election procedures with several key changes. It requires non-federal candidates to acknowledge felony disqualification in their filings and restricts eligibility objections to specific constitutional requirements (like residency or citizenship), not other issues. The bill explicitly bans ranked choice voting in all Iowa elections starting January 2026, defining it as a method where voters rank candidates and ballots are tabulated in rounds. It also prohibits candidates from assisting voters in polling booths and creates a temporary (2026-2028) pilot program to verify voter registration databases. These changes directly affect candidates, voters, and election officials in Iowa's electoral process.