43.4 Political party precinct caucuses.

1. Delegates to county conventions of political parties and party committee members shall be elected at precinct caucuses held not later than the fourth Monday in February of each even-numbered year. The date shall be at least eight days earlier than the scheduled date for any meeting, caucus, or primary which constitutes the first determining stage of the presidential nominating process in any other state, territory, or any other group which has the authority to select delegates in the presidential nomination. The state central committees of the political parties shall set the date for their caucuses. The county chairperson of each political party shall issue the call for the caucuses. The county chairperson shall file with the commissioner the meeting place of each precinct caucus at least seven days prior to the date of holding the caucus.

2. There shall be selected among those present at a precinct caucus a chairperson and a secretary who shall within seven days certify to the county central committee the names of those elected as party committee members and delegates to the county convention.

3. When the rules of a political party require the selection and reporting of delegates selected as part of the presidential nominating process, or the rules of a political party require the tabulation and reporting of the number of persons attending the caucus favoring each presidential candidate, it is the duty of a person designated as provided by the rules of that political party to report the results of the precinct caucus as directed by the state central committee of that political party. When the person designated to report the results of the precinct caucus reports the results, representatives of each candidate, if they so choose, may accompany the person as the results are being reported to assure that an accurate report of the proceedings is reported. If ballots are used at the precinct caucus, representatives of each candidate or other persons attending the precinct caucus may observe the tabulation of the results of the balloting.

4. Within sixty days after the date of the caucus the county central committee shall certify to the county commissioner the names of those elected as party committee members and delegates to the county convention. The commissioner shall retain precinct caucus records for twenty-two months. In addition, within fourteen days after the date of the precinct caucus, the chairperson of the county central committee shall deliver to the county commissioner all completed voter registration forms received at the caucus.

5. The central committee of each political party shall notify the delegates and committee members so elected and certified of their election and of the time and place of holding the county convention. Such conventions shall be held either preceding or following the primary election but no later than ten days following the primary election and shall be held on the same day throughout the state.

[S13, §1087-a1; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §530; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §43.4]

83 Acts, ch 138, §1; 88 Acts, ch 1001, §1; 89 Acts, ch 136, §2; 2009 Acts, ch 57, §4; 2010 Acts, ch 1033, §1; 2016 Acts, ch 1011, §121

Referred to in §39A.4, 43.90

Failure to report, criminal penalty, §39A.4