PRINTER'S NO. 1514

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No. 1229 Session of 2007

        INTRODUCED BY COHEN, JOSEPHS, ROEBUCK, PETRONE, JAMES, STABACK,
           FREEMAN, DeLUCA, McILHATTAN, MUNDY, SCAVELLO, CURRY,
           DePASQUALE, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, KING, KORTZ,
           LEACH, MANDERINO, MANN, McGEEHAN, M. O'BRIEN, PALLONE,
           PARKER, PAYTON, SIPTROTH, SOLOBAY AND YOUNGBLOOD, MAY 4, 2007

        REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MAY 4, 2007

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending Title 25 (Elections) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
     2     Statutes, further providing for application for absentee
     3     ballots.

     4     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     5  hereby enacts as follows:
     6     Section 1.  Section 3302(a) and (c) of Title 25 of the
     7  Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
     8  § 3302.  Application for absentee ballots.
     9     (a)  General rule.--Notwithstanding the provisions of Part IV
    10  (relating to voter registration) or the act of June 3, 1937
    11  (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code,
    12  [the following persons] any person who is a registered elector
    13  may make application for an absentee ballot for any reason by
    14  sending a letter or other signed document to the county board of
    15  elections in the county in which the person's voting address is
    16  located.[:
    17         (1)  A registered elector who is unable to attend the

     1     polling place on the day of any primary or election because
     2     of illness or physical disability.
     3         (2)  A registered elector who expects to be absent from
     4     this Commonwealth or the municipality of residence because
     5     duties, occupation or business require the elector to be
     6     elsewhere the day of any primary or election.
     7         (3)  A county employee who cannot vote due to duties
     8     relating to the conduct of elections.
     9         (4)  A person who will not attend a polling place because
    10     of an observance of a religious holiday.]
    11     * * *
    12     (c)  Review and processing.--The letter or document shall be
    13  subject to the same schedule as other applications for absentee
    14  ballots and upon receipt by the county board of elections shall
    15  be reviewed and processed in the same fashion as all other
    16  applications for absentee ballots.
    17     * * *
    18     Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.








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