PRINTER'S NO. 2794
No. 1993 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY KING, SCAVELLO, BRENNAN, CARROLL, DALEY, DeLUCA,
GALLOWAY, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HESS, MAHONEY, MANDERINO, PETRONE,
SAINATO, SIPTROTH, J. WHITE, YOUNGBLOOD, WAGNER AND CONKLIN,
OCTOBER 30, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, OCTOBER 30, 2007
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 polling place regulations.
12 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
13 hereby enacts as follows:
14 Section 1. Section 1220 of the act of June 3, 1937
15 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code,
16 amended August 31, 1971 (P.L.397, No.95), is amended to read:
17 Section 1220. Regulations in Force at Polling Places.--(a)
18 Until the polls are closed, no person shall be allowed in the
19 polling place outside of the enclosed space at any primary or
20 election, except the watchers, voters not exceeding ten at any
21 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, shall
10 electioneer or solicit votes for any political party, political
11 body or candidate, nor shall any written or printed matter be
12 posted up within the said room, except as required by this act.
13 (d) All persons, except election officers, clerks, machine
14 inspectors, overseers, watchers, persons in the course of
15 voting, persons lawfully giving assistance to voters, and peace
16 and police officers, when permitted by the provisions of this
17 act, must remain at least [ten (10)] one hundred (100) feet
18 distant from the polling place during the progress of the
19 voting.
20 (e) When the hour for closing the polls shall arrive, all
21 qualified electors who have already qualified, and are inside
22 the enclosed space, shall be permitted to vote; and, in addition
23 thereto, all those qualified electors who are in the polling
24 place outside the enclosed space waiting to vote and all those
25 voters who are in line either inside or outside of the polling
26 place waiting to vote, shall be permitted to do so, if found
27 qualified.
28 (f) It shall be the duty of the judge of election to secure
29 the observance of the provision of this section, to keep order
30 in the voting room, and to see that no more persons are admitted
20070H1993B2794 - 2 -
1 within the enclosed space than are permitted by this act. The
2 judge of election may call upon any constable, deputy constable,
3 police officer or other peace officer to aid him in the
4 performance of his duties under this section.
5 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
E11L25VDL/20070H1993B2794 - 3 -