PRINTER'S NO. 1227
No. 1081 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY HANNA, WAUGH, YOUNGBLOOD, DALEY, LEH AND PESCI,
APRIL 2, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 2, 1997
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," providing for nonpartisan school board elections.
12 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
13 hereby enacts as follows:
14 Section 1. The act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known
15 as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is amended by adding an
16 article to read:
17 ARTICLE IX-A
18 Nonpartisan School Board Elections
19 Section 901-A. Nomination of School Board Candidates.--(a)
20 Notwithstanding any provisions in this act to the contrary,
21 candidates for school board offices to be filled at the ensuing
22 November election pursuant to section 903 in accordance with the
1 requirements set forth in this section.
2 (b) All nomination petitions circulated and filed pursuant
3 to this section shall specify:
4 (1) that the candidate is running for a nonpartisan office;
5 (2) the name of the candidate nominated therein, his
6 profession, business or occupation, if any, and his place of
7 residence with street and number, if any; and
8 (3) the office, including the political district, that the
9 candidate is seeking. No words shall be used in the petition to
10 designate the name or appellation of any political party.
11 (c) Each signer of a nomination petition shall sign but one
12 such petition for each office to be filled: Provided, however,
13 That where there are to be elected two or more persons to the
14 same office, each signer may sign petitions for as many
15 candidates for such office as, and no more than, the signer
16 could vote for at the succeeding election. The signer shall
17 declare therein that he is a registered and qualified elector of
18 the political district therein in which the election is to be
19 held. The signer shall add his occupation and residence, giving
20 city, borough or township, with street and number, if any, and
21 shall add also the date of signing, expressed in words and
22 numbers: Provided, however, That if the said political district
23 named in the petition lies wholly within any city, borough or
24 township, or is coextensive with same, it shall not be necessary
25 for any signer of a nomination petition to state therein the
26 city, borough or township of his residence. No nomination
27 petition shall be circulated prior to the thirteenth Tuesday
28 before the primary, and no signature shall be counted unless it
29 bears a date affixed not earlier than the thirteenth Tuesday nor
30 later than the tenth Tuesday prior to the primary.
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1 (d) Each person filing any nomination paper under this
2 section shall be given a statement composed by the Secretary of
3 the Commonwealth setting forth his duties under law to file pre-
4 election and post-election campaign finance reports and the
5 penalties for nonfiling. Each person filing any nomination
6 petition for public office shall be given a form to file
7 expenses if the amount received or expended or liabilities
8 incurred shall exceed the sum of two hundred fifty dollars
9 ($250), and a form containing a sworn statement that the amount
10 received or expended or the liabilities incurred do not exceed
11 the sum of two hundred fifty dollars ($250), with written
12 instructions prepared by the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
13 Within three weeks after such candidate has filed, the
14 appropriate supervisor shall mail the same forms and
15 instructions to such candidate by first class mail.
16 (e) Nomination petitions for candidates under this section
17 shall be filed with the county boards of election of the
18 respective counties. Nomination petitions for candidates for any
19 office to be voted upon by the electors of any school district
20 which is situated in two or more counties shall be filed with
21 the county board of elections of the county in which the major
22 number of the registered electors of such school district
23 reside. Immediately after the last day for such candidates to
24 withdraw and after they have cast lots for their position on the
25 ballots or ballot labels, the county board of elections shall
26 certify to the county board of elections of each other county
27 involved a list of the names, addresses and occupations of the
28 candidates so filing nomination petitions, together with the
29 order in which their names are to appear upon the ballots or
30 ballot labels, and such other county board of elections shall
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1 prepare the ballots or ballot labels to be used in the portion
2 of such school district situate in such county accordingly.
3 (f) The two candidates who receive pluralities of the votes
4 in their political district at the primary election shall be the
5 candidates for their respective office: Provided, however, That
6 where there are to be elected two or more persons to the same
7 office, the number of candidates who may be elected plus one
8 additional candidate shall be the candidates for their
9 respective offices.
10 Section 902-A. Party Affiliation Not Designated.--No party
11 affiliation shall be noted in the ballot or ballot labels in the
12 primary or general election for school board candidates.
13 Section 903-A. Election to School Board Offices.--The
14 candidates who receive the pluralities of the votes in their
15 political districts at the general election shall be elected to
16 their respective offices.
17 Section 904-A. Regulations.--The Department of State shall
18 promulgate all necessary regulations to enforce and administer
19 this article.
20 Section 2. All acts and parts of acts are repealed insofar
21 as they are inconsistent with this act.
22 Section 3. This act shall take effect in one year.
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