Certain third class cities are allowed to eliminate, by ordinance or order, primary elections for mayor and councilmen offices. Any person wishing to become a candidate for these offices must file a statement of candidacy with the city clerk in order to be placed on the ballot.

This act removes the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June as a date available for public elections. Currently, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in February is available for public elections. This act only allows bond elections to occur on that date.

This act allows tax elections necessitated by a financial hardship due to a 5% or greater decline in per-pupil state revenue to a school district from the previous year, to be conducted at any time.

Currently, elections are not required to be held in nonpartisan elections in political subdivisions and special districts when the number of candidates equals the number of positions to be filled except in municipal elections. This act modifies that exception to only include municipal elections in cities, towns, or villages with 3,000 or fewer inhabitants. Such elections are not required in such municipalities with 3,000 or fewer inhabitants if such a measure is approved by popular vote.

Election authorities are required to publish notice including the names of officials to be seated by April 1 of each year in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the political subdivision or district when those elections are not held.

The act removes a provision providing that absentee ballots of deceased voters be rejected when sufficient evidence is shown to an election authority that the voter has died prior to the opening of the polls.

With the exception of certain candidates for local office, candidates shall file affidavits that they are not in violation of Section 115.348 which prohibits felons from qualifying as candidates for certain offices. Those found to be in violation shall be removed from the ballot or office.

It shall be a class four election offense for an election authority or political subdivision to discourage potential candidates from filing for the purposes of eliminating the requirement to hold an election.

Currently, state committees of political parties are required to pay a filing fee of $1,000 to place a candidate on the presidential primary ballot. This act increases that fee to $10,000.

Party emblems shall not be printed on the ballot above the party caption.

This act is similar to HCS/SCS/SB 270 (2011), HCS/SCS/SB 569 (2012), HB 1250 (2012), and HB 1036 (2012).

CHRIS HOGERTY