A bill for an act relating to information disclosed on a list of registered voters prepared by the county commissioner of registration or state registrar of voters.
Summary
House File 582 amends Iowa election law governing the contents of voter registration lists prepared by the county commissioner of registration or the state registrar of voters. Under current law, certain personal information is already removed from these lists before they are provided to requesters. This bill expands that privacy protection by requiring the removal of a voter’s date of birth and home address, in addition to the existing removals of Social Security number, voter identification number, driver’s license number, and nonoperator identification card number.
The practical effect is to limit the amount of personally identifying information disclosed on public or distributed voter lists. The bill does not change who may request voter registration lists, but it narrows the data fields that can be included, thereby increasing confidentiality for registered voters and reducing the risk of misuse of sensitive information.
Impact
HF 582 would amend section 48A.38 of the Iowa Code, which governs voter registration lists prepared by election officials. It would require county commissioners of registration and the state registrar of voters to redact a voter’s date of birth and home address from lists provided under that section, alongside other already-protected identifiers. The bill primarily affects election administrators and any person or entity that requests voter registration lists, while strengthening privacy protections for registered voters.
Sentiment
The available record shows the bill was introduced and referred to the House State Government Committee, with no recorded committee debate or votes. Based on the text alone, the measure appears to be a straightforward privacy-focused election administration bill, with no evident partisan or policy controversy reflected in the provided materials.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or voting history. Potential areas of concern, if raised later, would likely involve balancing voter privacy against public access to election records, transparency, and the utility of voter lists for campaigns, researchers, or civic organizations. However, no opposing arguments or named stakeholders are recorded in the available context.
A bill for an act relating to voter registration, including voter registration file maintenance, applications for voter registration, and verification of voter eligibility.(Formerly SSB 1088.)
Compliance with the federal Help America Vote Act, voter registration data sharing agreements, removing ineligible voters from the official voter registration list, and fees for obtaining the official voter registration list. (FE)
Compliance with the federal Help America Vote Act, voter registration data sharing agreements, removing ineligible voters from the official voter registration list, and fees for obtaining the official voter registration list. (FE)