HOUSE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1208, 1480, 1664 PRINTER'S NO. 1854
No. 1027 Session of 1981
INTRODUCED BY HAGER, JUBELIRER, O'CONNELL, O'PAKE, REIBMAN,
FISHER, SHAFFER, LOEPER, SINGEL, PRICE, HELFRICK, ANDREZESKI,
MOORE, RHOADES, EARLY, KUSSE, HESS, GEKAS AND PECORA, AUGUST
12, 1981
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
APRIL 21, 1982
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 certain applications for
12 official absentee ballots AND THE CONTENTS OF ABSENTEE BALLOT <--
13 APPLICATIONS AND BALLOTS.
14 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
15 hereby enacts as follows:
16 Section 1. Subsection (e) SUBSECTIONS (E) AND (I) of section <--
17 1302, act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the
18 "Pennsylvania Election Code," SUBSECTION (E) amended AND <--
19 SUBSECTION (I) ADDED July 12, 1980 (P.L.649, No.134), is ARE <--
20 amended to read:
21 Section 1302. Applications for Official Absentee Ballots. --
1 * * *
2 (e) Any qualified bedridden or hospitalized veteran absent
3 from the State or county of his residence and unable to attend
4 his polling place because of such illness or physical
5 disability, regardless of whether he is registered or enrolled,
6 may apply at any time before any primary or election for an
7 official absentee ballot on any official county board of
8 election form addressed to the Secretary of the Commonwealth of
9 Pennsylvania or the county board of elections of the county in
10 which his voting residence is located.
11 The application shall contain the following information:
12 Residence at the time of becoming bedridden or hospitalized,
13 length of time a citizen, length of residence in Pennsylvania,
14 date of birth, length of time a resident in voting district,
15 voting district if known, party choice in case of primary, name
16 and address of present residence or hospital at which
17 hospitalized. When such application is received by the Secretary
18 of the Commonwealth, it shall be forwarded to the proper county
19 board of elections.
20 The application for an official absentee ballot for any
21 primary or election shall be made on information supplied over
22 the signature of the bedridden or hospitalized veteran as
23 required in the preceding subsection. Any qualified registered
24 elector, including a spouse or dependent referred to in
25 subsection (l) of section 1301, who expects to be or is absent
26 from the Commonwealth or county of his residence because his
27 duties, occupation or business require him to be elsewhere on
28 the day of any primary or election and any qualified registered
29 elector who is unable to attend his polling place on the day of
30 any primary or election because of illness or physical
19810S1027B1854 - 2 -
1 disability and any qualified registered bedridden or
2 hospitalized veteran in the county of residence, may apply to
3 the county board of elections of the county in which his voting
4 residence is located for an Official Absentee Ballot. Such
5 application shall be made upon an official application form
6 supplied by the county board of elections. Such official
7 application form shall be determined and prescribed by the
8 Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
9 (1) The application of any qualified registered elector,
10 including spouse or dependent referred to in subsection (l) of
11 section 1301, who expects to be or is absent from the
12 Commonwealth or county of his residence because his duties,
13 occupation or business require him to be elsewhere on the day of
14 any primary or election, shall be signed by the applicant and
15 shall include the surname and christian name or names of the
16 applicant, his occupation, date of birth, length of time a
17 resident in voting district, voting district if known, place of
18 residence, post office address to which ballot is to be mailed,
19 the reason for his absence, and such other information as shall
20 make clear to the county board of elections the applicant's
21 right to an official absentee ballot.
22 (2) The application of any qualified registered elector who
23 is unable to attend his polling place on the day of any primary
24 or election because of illness or physical disability and the
25 application of any qualified registered bedridden or
26 hospitalized veteran in the county of residence shall be signed
27 by the applicant and shall include surname and christian name or
28 names of the applicant, his occupation, date of birth, residence
29 at the time of becoming bedridden or hospitalized, length of
30 time a resident in voting district, voting district if known,
19810S1027B1854 - 3 -
1 place of residence, post office address to which ballot is to be
2 mailed, and such other information as shall make clear to the
3 county board of elections the applicant's right to an official
4 ballot. In addition, the application of such electors shall
5 include a declaration stating the nature of their disability or
6 illness, and the name, office address and office telephone
7 number of their attending physician[, if any, together with a
8 supporting declaration signed by such attending physician, or,
9 if none, by a registered elector unrelated by blood or marriage
10 of the election district of the residence of the applicant]:
11 Provided, however, That in the event any elector entitled to an
12 absentee ballot under this subsection be unable to sign his
13 application because of illness or physical disability, he shall
14 be excused from signing upon making a statement which shall be
15 witnessed by one adult person in substantially the following
16 form: I hereby state that I am unable to sign my application for
17 an absentee ballot without assistance because I am unable to
18 write by reason of my illness or physical disability. I have
19 made or have received assistance in making my mark in lieu of my
20 signature.
21 ............................... ......................(Mark)
22 (Date)
23 ............................... ............................
24 (Complete Address of Witness) (Signature of Witness)
25 * * *
26 (I) APPLICATION FOR OFFICIAL ABSENTEE BALLOTS SHALL BE ON <--
27 FORMS PRESCRIBED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH. THE
28 APPLICATION SHALL STATE THAT A VOTER WHO RECEIVES AN ABSENTEE
29 BALLOT BECAUSE OF ILLNESS OR ABSENCE FROM THE DISTRICT AND WHO,
30 ON ELECTION DAY, IS CAPABLE OF VOTING AT THE APPROPRIATE POLLING
19810S1027B1854 - 4 -
1 PLACE MUST VOID THE ABSENTEE BALLOT AND VOTE IN THE NORMAL
2 MANNER AT THE APPROPRIATE VOTING PLACE. SUCH FORMS SHALL BE MADE
3 FREELY AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AT COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS,
4 MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS AND AT SUCH OTHER LOCATIONS DESIGNATED BY
5 THE SECRETARY. NO WRITTEN APPLICATION OR PERSONAL REQUEST SHALL
6 BE NECESSARY TO RECEIVE THE APPLICATION FORMS. COPIES OF ALL
7 COMPLETED APPLICATIONS FOR OFFICIAL ABSENTEE BALLOTS SHALL BE
8 RETAINED BY THE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS.
9 SECTION 2. SECTION 1303 OF THE ACT IS AMENDED BY ADDING A
10 SUBSECTION TO READ:
11 SECTION 1303. OFFICIAL ABSENTEE VOTERS BALLOTS.--* * *
12 (E) THE OFFICIAL ABSENTEE VOTER BALLOT SHALL STATE THAT A
13 VOTER WHO RECEIVES AN ABSENTEE BALLOT BECAUSE OF ILLNESS OR
14 ABSENCE FROM THE DISTRICT AND WHO, ON ELECTION DAY, IS CAPABLE
15 OF VOTING AT THE APPROPRIATE POLLING PLACE MUST VOID THE
16 ABSENTEE BALLOT AND VOTE IN THE NORMAL MANNER AT THE APPROPRIATE
17 VOTING PLACE.
18 Section 2 3. This act shall take effect immediately JANUARY <--
19 1, 1983.
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