PRINTER'S NO. 1491
No. 1225 Session of 1981
INTRODUCED BY O'CONNELL, SHAFFER, PECORA AND STAPLETON,
NOVEMBER 20, 1981
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, NOVEMBER 20, 1981
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," further providing for the appointment of
12 watchers.
13 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
14 hereby enacts as follows:
15 Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 417, act of June 3,
16 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the "Pennsylvania Election
17 Code," amended August 14, 1963 (P.L.1048, No.453), is amended to
18 read:
19 Section 417. Appointment of Watchers.--
20 * * *
21 (b) All watchers so appointed shall serve in only one
22 district and, except as hereinafter provided, must be qualified
1 registered electors of the [municipality or township] county in
2 which the district where they are authorized to act is located.
3 Only one watcher for each candidate at primaries, or for each
4 party or political body at general, municipal or special
5 elections, shall be allowed to remain in the polling place at
6 any one time prior to the close of the polls, and all watchers
7 in the room shall remain outside the enclosed space. After the
8 close of the polls and while the ballots are being counted or
9 voting machine canvassed, all the watchers shall be permitted to
10 be in the polling place outside the enclosed space. Each watcher
11 shall be provided with a certificate from the county board of
12 elections, stating his name and the name of the candidate, party
13 or political body he represents. Watchers shall be required to
14 show their certificates when requested to do so. Watchers
15 allowed in the polling place under the provisions of this act,
16 shall be permitted to keep a list of voters and shall be
17 entitled to challenge any person making application to vote and
18 to require proof of his qualifications, as provided by this act.
19 All watchers [so appointed as set forth above,] who are to serve
20 in a [district] county other than the one from which they are
21 registered electors, are to be appointed on petition to the
22 court of common pleas of the county in which they are to serve.
23 Said petition shall set forth that the watcher is a qualified
24 voter [of the municipality or township in which the district is
25 located] and that said watcher is a law abiding citizen and of
26 good repute, and the court shall consider all factors relevant
27 to said petition before granting or refusing same.
28 * * *
29 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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