The Iowa House Committee on State Government has introduced HF 590, an omnibus election law bill which increases the petition requirements for independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties. Currently the only qualified parties in Iowa are the Republican and Democratic Parties.
The bill raises the petition requirement for president, governor, and U.S. Senator from 1,500 to 3,500. It also imposes a severe county distribution requirement, which is unconstitutional under the U.S. Supreme Court decision Moore v Ogilvie (1969). The distribution requirement in the bill is 100 signatures from at least 19 counties.
The petition for lesser statewide office would rise from 1,500 signatures to 2,500 signatures, with at least 75 signatures from each of 18 counties.
The petition for U.S. House would rise from 375 signatures to 1,726 signatures, with at least 47 signatures required from each of half the counties in the district.
The alternate procedure for unqualified parties to get on the ballot, which is seldom used, would rise from a meeting of 250 attendees, to 500 attendees.
In 2019, the Iowa legislature moved the petition deadline for these petitions from August to March. The Libertarian Party is currently suing Iowa over the deadline change in U.S. District Court. The case has moved very slowly so far, but briefs will be submitted in early March.