PRINTER'S NO. 611
No. 561 Session of 1979
INTRODUCED BY LIVENGOOD, FEE, KOLTER AND D. R. WRIGHT,
MARCH 7, 1979
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 7, 1979
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled
2 "An act concerning elections, including general, municipal,
3 special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates,
4 primary and election expenses and election contests; creating
5 and defining membership of county boards of elections;
6 imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth,
7 courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners;
8 imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying,
9 revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and
10 repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to
11 elections," requiring that political party chairman be
12 elected by the voters during the primary election.
13 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
14 hereby enacts as follows:
15 Section 1. Section 603, act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333,
16 No.320), known as the "Pennsylvania Election Code," amended
17 December 22, 1971 (P.L.613, No.165), is amended to read:
18 Section 603. General Primary; Candidates to Be Nominated and
19 Party Officers to Be Elected.--There shall be a General primary
20 preceding each general election which shall be held on the third
21 Tuesday of May in all even-numbered years, except in the year of
22 the nomination of a President of the United States, in which
23 year the General primary shall be held on the fourth Tuesday of
1 April. Candidates for all offices to be filled at the ensuing
2 general election shall be nominated at the General primary. The
3 county political party chairman shall be elected by the party
4 elections at the General primary. The vote for candidates for
5 the office of President of the United States, as provided for by
6 this act, shall be cast at the General primary.
7 Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
8 Section 807.1. Election of County Political Party
9 Chairman.--(a) Notwithstanding any law or rule to the contrary,
10 the county political party chairman of every county political
11 party or the city political party chairman of every city
12 political party where the boundaries of the county and city are
13 the same organized pursuant to section 807 shall be elected for
14 a two (2) year term of office by the party electors at each
15 General primary election.
16 (b) The candidates for the office of county political party
17 chairman shall be nominated pursuant to the provisions of
18 Article IX.
19 Section 3. Subsection (d) of section 912 of the act, amended
20 May 16, 1951 (P.L.302, No.62) and repealed in part April 28,
21 1978 (No.53), is amended to read:
22 Section 912. Number of Signers Required; Nomination
23 Petitions of Candidates at Primaries Shall Be Signed.--
24 * * *
25 (d) If for the office of Representative in the General
26 Assembly, or for the office of member of the State committee, or
27 for the office of county political party chairman, or an office
28 to be voted for by the electors of the entire county, or an
29 office to be voted for by the electors of an entire city, or for
30 the office of district councilman in a city of the first class,
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1 by at least one hundred registered and enrolled members of the
2 proper party.
3 * * *
4 Section 4. Subsection (a) of section 1002, amended December
5 22, 1971 (P.L.613, No.165), is amended to read:
6 Section 1002. Form of Official Primary Ballot.--(a) At
7 primaries separate official ballots shall be prepared for each
8 party which shall be in substantially the following form:
9 Official.................................. Primary Ballot.
10 (Name of Party)
11 ........District,........Ward, City of.......................,
12 County of............................, State of Pennsylvania
13 ........Primary election held on the.....day of........., 19...
14 Make a cross (X) or check ( ) in the square to the right of
15 each candidate for whom you wish to vote. If you desire to vote
16 for a person whose name is not on the ballot, write, print or
17 paste his name in the blank space provided for that purpose.
18 Mark ballot only in black lead pencil, indelible pencil or blue,
19 black or blue-black ink in fountain pen or ball point pen. Use
20 the same pencil or pen for all markings you place on the ballot.
21 President of the United States.
22 (Vote for one)
23 John Doe
24 Richard Roe
25 John Stiles
26 United States Senator.
27 (Vote for one)
28 John Doe
29 Richard Roe
30 John Stiles
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1 Governor.
2 (Vote for one)
3 John Doe
4 Richard Roe
5 John Stiles
6 Representative in Congress....District.
7 (Vote for one)
8 John Doe
9 Richard Roe
10 John Stiles
11 Delegates at Large to National Convention.
12 (Vote for.....)
13 John Doe
14 (Committed to Jeremiah Smith)
15 John Stiles
16 (Uncommitted)
17 Delegate to National Convention.....District.
18 (Vote for.....)
19 John Doe
20 (Committed to Jeremiah Smith)
21 John Stiles
22 (Uncommitted)
23 Senator in the General Assembly.....District.
24 (Vote for one)
25 John Doe
26 Richard Roe
27 John Stiles
28 Member of State Committee.
29 (Vote for one)
30 John Doe
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1 Richard Roe
2 John Stiles
3 County Party Chairman.
4 (Vote for one)
5 John Doe
6 Richard Roe
7 John Stiles
8 Party Committeemen.
9 (Vote for.....)
10 John Doe
11 Richard Roe
12 John Stiles
13 * * *
14 Section 5. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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