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Primary Elections in Iowa
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 October 2013
Extract
The first effort toward securing a primary election law in Iowa was made in 1896, when three different bills were rejected by the Twenty-sixth General Assembly. In 1898 renewed efforts resulted in the adoption of a local optional primary law; and by 1902 this local primary law had been adopted in thirty-six of the ninety-nine counties of the State by at least one of the parties.
The movement for a compulsory State-wide primary election law was begun in January, 1902, when State Senator J. J. Crossley introduced a measure in the Twenty-ninth General Assembly known as the “Crossley Bill.” This bill was never even reported to the Senate; while the House measure, which was identical with that of the Senate; was lost after the addition of many amendments and a long and heated debate. Senator Crossley introduced his State-wide primary election bill at each succeeding session of the General Assembly until it was finally adopted on April 4, 1907.
- Type
- Papers and Discussions
- Information
- Proceedings of the American Political Science Association , Volume 7: Seventh Annual Meeting , December 1911 , pp. 175 - 186
- Copyright
- Copyright © American Political Science Association 1911
References
1 Nomination papers of candidates for United States Senator, Elector at Large, and State officers must have the signatures of 1 per cent of their party vote in each of at least ten counties and in the aggregate not leas than one-half of 1 per cent of the total vote of his party in the State as shown by the last general election. Candidates for offices chosen from districts composed of more than one county must have the signatures of 2 per cent of their party vote in at least one-half of the counties and in the aggregate not less than 1 per cent of his party vote in the district. Offices filled by the voters of the county must have the signatures of 2 per cent of their party vote in the county.
2 The amendments to the Iowa primary law passed in 1909 are as follows:
1. The statement that the vote on United States Senators is advisory was repealed, (section 1).
2. Primary expenses are to be borne the same as general election expenses. Judges and Clerks are to receive twenty-five cents per hour (section 5).
3. The time of opening and closing the polls in precincts where registration is not required was changed (section 6).
4. Candidates for party committeemen are not required to file nomination papers (section 10).
5. Secretary of State is to arrange names of candidates for State offices as they shall appear on the ballot in the several counties (section 13).
6. The County Auditor is to arrange names of candidates for district and county offices as they shall appear on the official ballot.
7. A slight change is made in the form of the primary ballot (section 14).
8. Provisions relating to the form and distribution of sample ballots were enacted (section 15).
9. Candidates are given the right to demand a recounting of ballots under certain conditions (section 18).
10. The Board of Supervisors are to make a list of the candidates who failed to receive 35 per cent of their party vote and give a copy of the same to the chairman of each party's central committee (section 19).
11. The Board of Supervisors are required to publish the results of the primary election (section 21).
12. The Executive Council is to make a list of the candidates for State offices who failed to receive 35 per cent of their party vote, and give a copy of the same to the chairman of each party's State Central Committee (section 22).
13. Provisions for the proper certification of nominations made by conventions or party committees were added (section 23).
14. The manner of filling vacancies for the office of United States Senator occurring after the primary but before the general election was provided at a special session of the General Assembly after the death of Senator Allison (section* 24).
15. New Provisions relating to date of the county convention, to notification of delegates and their term of office; and limitations on powers of the county convention were made (section 25).
16. Provisions relative to district conventions were made similar to those for the county (section 26).
17. Provisions relative to the State convention were made similar to those for county and district conventions (section 27).