HOUSE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1681 PRINTER'S NO. 1828
No. 1332 Session of 1989
INTRODUCED BY LOEPER, MELLOW AND RHOADES, OCTOBER 30, 1989
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
DECEMBER 13, 1989
AN ACT
1 Providing for the alteration of election districts; and
2 conferring powers and duties upon county boards of elections
3 and the Bureau of Commissions, Elections and Legislation.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Election
8 District Alteration and Data Reporting Act.
9 Section 2. Definitions.
10 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12 context clearly indicates otherwise:
13 "Bureau." The Bureau of Commissions, Elections and
14 Legislation of the Department of State.
15 "Secretary." The Secretary of the Commonwealth.
16 Section 3. Restrictions on alteration.
17 (a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), an
1 election district may not be established, abolished, divided or
2 consolidated during the period from January 1, 1990, through
3 March 29, 1992.
4 (b) Exception.--During the period from January 1, 1990,
5 through March 29, 1992, an election district may be divided or
6 election districts may be combined if the following are met:
7 (1) In the case of the division of an election district,
8 the boundary of each resulting district is composed entirely
9 of clearly visible physical features conforming with the
10 census block lines or portions of the original boundary of
11 the election district which was divided.
12 (2) In the case of the combination of election
13 districts, the boundary of each resulting district is
14 composed entirely of portions of the original boundaries of
15 the election districts which were combined.
16 (c) Procedure.--If an alteration of an election district
17 under subsection (b) is sought, the following shall apply:
18 (1) The county board of elections shall notify the
19 bureau, in writing, of the proposed alteration. The notice
20 shall include a map and a description of the proposed
21 boundary of any new district or districts.
22 (2) Before a county board of elections may petition the
23 court for a change in the boundary of an election district
24 under section 1105 of the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, <--
25 No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, the
26 secretary must make a determination that the board has
27 complied with subsection (b). Any of the following constitute
28 evidence of the determination under this paragraph:
29 (i) A certification by the secretary that the
30 determination has been made.
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1 (ii) A certification by the board that notice under
2 this paragraph has been given to the bureau and that the
3 secretary has not acted within 45 days of the notice.
4 Section 4. Alterations after period of restriction.
5 (a) General rule.--After March 29, 1992, an election
6 district may be established, abolished, divided or consolidated
7 if the boundary of each resulting district is composed entirely
8 of clearly visible physical features conforming with census
9 block lines from the most recently completed Federal decennial
10 census.
11 (b) Report.--Within 30 days of an alteration under
12 subsection (a), the county board of elections shall submit to
13 the bureau a report, including a map and a verbal description,
14 of the boundaries of each resulting district.
15 SECTION 5. REPORTS. <--
16 (A) INITIAL REPORT OF EXISTING DISTRICTS.--WITHIN SIX MONTHS
17 OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ACT, EACH COUNTY BOARD OF
18 ELECTIONS SHALL SUBMIT TO THE BUREAU A REPORT, INCLUDING MAPS
19 AND VERBAL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE BOUNDARIES OF EVERY ELECTION
20 DISTRICT WITHIN THE COUNTY. ALL REPORTS FILED UNDER SECTION 3 OR
21 4 SHALL BE FILED AS AMENDMENTS TO THIS INITIAL REPORT.
22 (B) RETENTION OF REPORTS.--THE BUREAU SHALL RETAIN AT ALL
23 TIMES THE REPORTS OF THE CURRENT BOUNDARIES OF ALL ELECTION
24 DISTRICTS INCLUDING MAPS AND VERBAL DESCRIPTIONS. COPIES OF SUCH
25 REPORTS SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, ON
26 REQUEST, AND TO THE PUBLIC FOR A FEE, AS ESTABLISHED BY THE
27 DEPARTMENT.
28 Section 5 6. Election results; registration. <--
29 (a) Election results.--In addition to any other reports,
30 returns or certifications required by any other law, within 30
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1 days after a primary, municipal, special or general election,
2 the county board of elections shall submit to the bureau a
3 report stating the total number of votes cast in each voting
4 district for each candidate for the following offices:
5 (1) A Statewide office.
6 (2) State Senator.
7 (3) State Representative.
8 (4) United States Representative.
9 (b) Registration.--Within 30 days after the close of
10 registration of any primary, municipal or general election, the
11 County Board of Elections shall submit to the bureau a report
12 containing the total number of registered voters for each
13 political party in each voting district.
14 Section 6 7. Regulations. <--
15 The secretary may promulgate regulations to administer this
16 act.
17 Section 7 8. Effective date. <--
18 This act shall take effect immediately.
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