PRINTER'S NO. 846
No. 719 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY TRAVAGLIO, BEBKO-JONES, DALEY, GRUCELA, HARHAI,
HORSEY, ROBERTS, SURRA AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 6, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 6, 2003
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 regulation of polling
12 places.
13 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
14 hereby enacts as follows:
15 Section 1. Section 1220 of the act of June 3, 1937
16 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code,
17 amended August 31, 1971 (P.L.397, No.95), is amended to read:
18 Section 1220. Regulations in Force at Polling Places.--(a)
19 Until the polls are closed, no person shall be allowed in the
20 polling place outside of the enclosed space at any primary or
21 election, except the watchers, voters not exceeding ten at any
22 one time who are awaiting their turn to vote, and peace
1 officers, when necessary for the preservation of the peace. No
2 elector shall be allowed to occupy a voting compartment or
3 voting machine booth already occupied by another, except when
4 giving assistance as permitted by this act.
5 (b) No elector, except an election officer, clerk, machine
6 inspector or overseer, shall be allowed to re-enter the enclosed
7 space after he has once left it, except to give assistance as
8 provided by this act.
9 (c) No person, when within the polling place or on the
10 property on which the polling place is located, shall
11 electioneer or solicit votes for any political party, political
12 body or candidate[,]; nor shall any written or printed matter be
13 posted up [within the said room] anywhere on the property on
14 which the polling place is located, except as required by this
15 act.
16 (d) [All] No persons, except election officers, clerks,
17 machine inspectors, overseers, watchers, persons in the course
18 of voting, persons lawfully giving assistance to voters, and
19 peace and police officers[,] when permitted by the provisions of
20 this act, [must remain at least ten (10) feet distant from] are
21 permitted to be on the property on which the polling place is
22 located during the progress of the voting.
23 (e) When the hour for closing the polls shall arrive, all
24 qualified electors who have already qualified, and are inside
25 the enclosed space, shall be permitted to vote; and, in addition
26 thereto, all those qualified electors who are in the polling
27 place outside the enclosed space waiting to vote and all those
28 voters who are in line either inside or outside of the polling
29 place waiting to vote, shall be permitted to do so, if found
30 qualified.
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1 (f) It shall be the duty of the judge of election to secure
2 the observance of the provision of this section, to keep order
3 in the voting room, and to see that no more persons are admitted
4 within the enclosed space than are permitted by this act. The
5 judge of election may call upon any constable, deputy constable,
6 police officer or other peace officer to aid him in the
7 performance of his duties under this section.
8 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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