June
8, 2010 Primary Election
Polls open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Vote at regular
polling places.
In a primary election, no candidates are elected. Instead, voters who
are affiliated with the recognized political parties nominate their
candidates to run in the November 2 general election.
More information about political parties and primary
elections
Voters must be affiliated with one of the two recognized political parties in
Iowa (Democratic and Republican) and can only vote in one party's primary. Any
voter may declare or change party affiliation at any time, including Election
Day.
Dates and Deadlines
- March 1-19: Filing period for federal and state offices with
Secretary of State.
- March 8-31: Filing period for county offices with
County Auditor.
- April 22: 5 p.m. deadline to file petition for satellite voting site, 100
signatures.
- April 24: Military and overseas ballots mailed by this date.
- April 29: First day for early voting at auditor's office.
- May 29: Last day to register
to vote without additional requirements of
Election Day registration,
10 days before the election, 5:00 p.m. Auditor's Office open
Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- May 31: Memorial Day; Auditor's Office closed.
- June 4: Deadline to request absentee ballot by mail.
Requests must be received in our office by 5 p.m.
- June 5: Auditor's Office open Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- June 7: Last day to vote early at
Auditor's Office (6 p.m.). Postmark deadline for mailed absentee
ballots.
- June 8: Election Day. Polls open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Offices to appear on ballot
Links to more information and requirements.
- Federal office: US Senate; US Representative, 2nd Congressional
District
- Statewide offices: Governor,
Attorney General, Auditor, Secretary of Agriculture,
Secretary of State, Treasurer
- State Legislature: State Senate (3 of 4
Johnson County districts), State House of Representatives (all 6 Johnson
County districts)
- County Offices: Attorney, Recorder,
Treasurer, Board of Supervisors (2 seats)
- Note: Township offices are non-partisan as of 2006, and no longer
appear on the primary ballot.
FEDERAL OFFICE
Filing Period: March 1-19 with
Secretary of State.
US Senate (seat currently held by Senator Grassley). Six year term.
(Sen. Harkin elected to six year term in 2008 and not
on 2010 ballot.)
Signature requirements
1. Signatures equaling 1/2 of 1% of the total
presidential vote for the candidate's party in the last general election.
- Democratic Party: 4145 signatures
- Republican Party: 3412 signatures
2. 1% of the total vote for the candidate's
party in each of at least ten counties.
US Representative, 2nd Congressional District. Two year term.
Qualifications: Age 25+, US Citizen 7 Years, Iowa Resident
(do not have to
live in district)
Signature requirements
1. Signatures equaling 1% of the total presidential vote for the candidate's
party in the last general election.
- Democratic Party: 1910 signatures
- Republican Party: 1224 signatures
2. Signatures equaling 2% of the total vote for
the candidate's party in the last general election in at least half of the
counties in the district.
STATEWIDE OFFICES
All terms 4 years. Filing Period: March 1-19 with
Secretary of State.
Governor
Qualifications: Age 30+, US Citizen 2 years and IA
resident 2 Years
1. Signatures equaling 1/2 of 1% of the total
presidential vote for the candidate's party in the last general election.
- Democratic Party: 4145 signatures
- Republican Party: 3412 signatures
2. 1% of the total presidential vote for the candidate's
party in each of at least ten counties.
Note: In the November general election, the governor and
lieutenant governor are elected as a team. Candidates may name running mates, but this is unofficial and not required,
and lieutenant governor candidates do not appear on the primary ballot. Candidates for
lieutenant
governor are officially nominated by state party conventions after the
primary.
Other statewide offices
- Attorney General
- Auditor
- Secretary of Agriculture
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- Secretary of State
- Treasurer
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Qualifications: Age 18+, US Citizen, IA
resident
Signature Requirements: 1,000 signatures, including at least 50 signatures in each of at least
ten counties.
STATE LEGISLATURE
Links to district maps.
State Senate: All odd-numbered districts. Johnson County: Districts
15, 39,
45. Four year terms.
(Sen. Hahn, District 40, elected to four year term in 2008 and not
on 2010 ballot.)
State House of Representatives: All 100 seats statewide. 6 seats in Johnson
County: Districts 29,
30, 77,
78, 79,
89. Two year terms.
Qualifications: US Citizen, 1 Year In State,
60 Days In District
(as of general election date 11/2/10). Age 25+ for Senate, 21+
for House.
Filing Period: March 1-19 with
Secretary of State.
Signature Requirements: minimum 100 for Senate, 50 for House. Signatures must
be from within district.
COUNTY OFFICES
All terms 4 years.
- Attorney
- Treasurer
- Recorder
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- Board of Supervisors: Two seats
(currently held by Janelle Rettig and Sally Stutsman)
(Supervisors Harney, Neuzil and Sullivan elected to 4 year
terms in 2008 and not on ballot in 2010.)
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Qualifications: Age 18+, US Citizen, County Resident.
Board of Supervisors: Registered voter in county when sworn in.
Filing Period: March 8 - 31 with County Auditor
Signature Requirements: Minimum of 100 signatures
from the county.
Inconclusive Primaries and Special
Nominating Conventions
The Code of Iowa (43.52) states that a candidate must win 35% of the
vote to win a party nomination. If no candidate wins 35% in a primary,
the primary is inconclusive and the political party must hold a nominating
convention.
In a contest where more than one candidate is to be nominated, the Code
specifies a formula based on votes cast:
- votes for the candidate / ((votes for all candidates plus write
ins)/(number of seats to be nominated))
The Board of Supervisors is the only contest in this primary in which more
than one candidate will be nominated.
Parties may also nominate candidates by convention to
fill ballot vacancies. The deadline is 81 days before the general election for
legislative, statewide and federal offices (August 13, 2010) and 69 days
before the election (August 25, 2010) for county offices.
Candidates for lieutenant governor have been nominated by state party
conventions since 1990, when the constitutional amendment requiring candidates
for governor and lieutenant governor to run as a team took effect.
Candidates not
representing official parties
In order to earn and maintain official political party status, a party must
win 2 percent of the vote for president or governor in each general election (Code
of Iowa, 43.2). At present, only the Democratic and Republican parties
qualify, though other groups have held full party status in recent years.
In 2008, a new state law allowed groups to complete a petition and become
"political organizations." The Green and Libertarian parties have organization
status. Voters may register as Greens or Libertarians, but these parties do not
participate in the June primary.
Candidates representing political organizations or parties with no official status, or
candidates who
wish to run with no party designation, do not participate in the primary
election. Instead, they may file through petition or convention procedures in order to appear on the November
2 general election ballot. Filing
dates:
In Johnson County, candidates for county office running with no
party or representing parties without full party status may file a declaration
of intent to file candidacy and be included on candidate lists distributed
by our office prior to the
August filing period.
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