Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed two election-related bills into law on June 2—one to prohibit the use of ranked-choice voting in any election across the state and allow poll workers to request proof of voter citizenship, and another that overhauls and standardizes the state’s election recount procedures.
The more sweeping of the two measures, HF 954 bars any use of ranked-choice voting—also known as instant-runoff voting—at the state, local, or federal level in Iowa. Though not currently in use in the state, the method has gained support in some U.S. jurisdictions. Supporters of ranked choice voting say it is more democratic as it ensures majority winners, while critics say it complicates vote tabulation and undermines transparency.
The bill also authorizes election workers, beginning July 1, to request proof of citizenship status, expanding current law that already permits challenges over age and residency. Additionally, it empowers the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office to enter into agreements with state and federal agencies and private vendors to verify voter eligibility using a broader range of data.
The law also mandates that the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) provide the Secretary of State’s Office with a list of individuals aged 17 and older who have submitted documentation indicating that they are not U.S. citizens. Voters flagged through this process must provide documentation affirming their legal eligibility to vote in order to remain on the active voter rolls.
“I commend the Iowa Legislature and Governor Reynolds for recognizing the importance of these bills in strengthening and maintaining Iowa’s election integrity,” Pate said in a statement. “These new laws add additional layers of integrity to our robust election procedures, supporting our efforts to balance election integrity and voter participation.”
The passage of HF 954 follows a politically charged controversy in the run-up to the 2024 election. On Oct. 22 of that year, Pate instructed county auditors to challenge the ballots of 2,176 registered voters based on state DOT records, indicating they may not be U.S. citizens. The directive led to hundreds of voters casting provisional ballots and drew a federal lawsuit from the ACLU of Iowa on behalf of four naturalized citizens, alleging violations of equal protection rights.
In response to the controversy, Pate pushed for legislative changes to shift verification earlier in the registration process.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was critical of the new law, with ACLU of Iowa Legal Director Rita Bettis Austen telling local media outlets that, “instead of fixing what went wrong, this law reads like a recipe for more racial profiling, discrimination, and voter intimidation.”
The second bill signed Monday, HF928, fundamentally restructures how election recounts are handled in Iowa. The law eliminates the old system that relied on partisan-appointed recount boards and replaces it with procedures overseen by county auditors and their staff. Recounts will now be conducted using uniform standards and methods across all precincts for any given race.
Under the new law, recounts in local or legislative races can only be requested if the margin is 1 percent or less—or fewer than 50 votes, whichever is less. For statewide or federal races, the threshold is set at 0.15 percent. Previously, candidates could request a recount regardless of margin, although the state only covered costs under certain circumstances.
