Rep. Bobby Kaufman (photo from Iowa Legislature.)
A committee chairman says he’s “not weighing in” on recent challenges to nominating forms from three candidates running for state and federal office, but Republican Representative Bobby Kaufmann says the address requirements alongside the signatures on nominating petitions need to be clarified.
Last week, a state panel voted to count petition signatures from residents of apartments and college dormitories who did not include their dorm room or unit number. That’s not listed as a requirement on the nominating petition.
“My job is to look at the policy in the Code (of Iowa) and my opinion is the policy in the Code is ambiguous and needs to be fixed,” Kaufmann says. “…It’s not something I’m probably going to dive into with two weeks left in the legislative session, but it is something that I think needs to be addressed before the next primary season, so all candidates of any party have the consistent clarity.”
A central Iowa judge may rule soon on a challenge to three signatures on Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abby Finkenauer’s petitions, but that legal question revolves around the date listed or left off the signature line. Finkenauer would not qualify to be listed on the June Primary ballot if the three signatures being challenged are thrown out.