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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY DePASQUALE, CALTAGIRONE, CARROLL, GIBBONS, KAVULICH, REED, REICHLEY, SANTARSIERO AND CONKLIN, MARCH 9, 2011 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 9, 2011 |
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| AN ACT |
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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 qualifications of electors |
12 | at primaries, for primary voting and party officers and for |
13 | voting procedure. |
14 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
15 | hereby enacts as follows: |
16 | Section 1. Sections 702 and 802 of the act of June 3, 1937 |
17 | (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, are |
18 | amended to read: |
19 | Section 702. Qualifications of Electors at Primaries.--The |
20 | qualifications of electors entitled to vote at primaries shall |
21 | be the same as the qualifications of electors entitled to vote |
22 | at elections within the election district where the primary is |
23 | held[, provided that no elector who is not registered and |
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1 | enrolled as a member of a political party, in accordance with |
2 | the provisions of this act, shall be permitted to vote the |
3 | ballot of such party or any other party ballot at any primary]. |
4 | Section 802. Only Enrolled Electors to [Vote at Primaries |
5 | or] Hold Party Offices.--No person who is not registered and |
6 | enrolled as a member of a political party shall be entitled [to |
7 | vote at any primary of such party or] to be elected or serve as |
8 | a party officer, or a member or officer of any party committee, |
9 | or delegate or alternate delegate to any party convention. |
10 | Section 2. Section 902 of the act, amended May 23, 1949 |
11 | (P.L.1656, No.504), is amended to read: |
12 | Section 902. Candidates to Be Nominated and Party Officers |
13 | to Be Elected at Primaries.--All candidates of political |
14 | parties, as defined in section 801 of this act, for the offices |
15 | of United States Senator, Representative in Congress and for all |
16 | other elective public offices within this State, except that of |
17 | presidential electors, shall be nominated, and party delegates |
18 | and alternate delegates, committeemen and officers who, under |
19 | the provisions of Article VIII of this act or under the party |
20 | rules, are required to be elected by the party electors, shall |
21 | be elected at primaries held in accordance with the provisions |
22 | of this act, except as otherwise provided in this act. In the |
23 | years when candidates for the office of President of the United |
24 | States are to be nominated, every registered [and enrolled] |
25 | member of a political party shall have the opportunity at the |
26 | Spring primary in such years to vote [his] a preference for one |
27 | person to be the candidate of [his] a political party for |
28 | President. |
29 | Section 3. Section 1210(d) of the act, amended October 8, |
30 | 2004 (P.L.807, No.97), is amended to read: |
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1 | Section 1210. Manner of Applying to Vote; Persons Entitled |
2 | to Vote; Voter's Certificates; Entries to Be Made in District |
3 | Register; Numbered Lists of Voters; Challenges.--* * * |
4 | (d) No person, except a qualified elector who is in actual |
5 | military or naval service under a requisition of the President |
6 | of the United States or by the authority of this Commonwealth, |
7 | and who votes under the provisions of Article XIII of this act, |
8 | shall be entitled or permitted to vote at any primary or |
9 | election at any polling place outside the election district in |
10 | which [he] the person resides, nor shall [he] the person be |
11 | permitted to vote in the election district in which [he] the |
12 | person resides, unless [he] the person has been personally |
13 | registered as an elector and [his] the person's registration |
14 | card appears in the district register of such election district, |
15 | except by order of the court of common pleas as provided in this |
16 | act, and any person, although personally registered as an |
17 | elector, may be challenged by any qualified elector, election |
18 | officer, overseer, or watcher at any primary or election as to |
19 | [his] identity, as to [his] continued residence in the election |
20 | district or as to any alleged violation of the provisions of |
21 | this section [1210 of this act], and if challenged as to |
22 | identity or residence, [he] the person shall produce at least |
23 | one qualified elector of the election district as a witness, who |
24 | shall make affidavit of [his] identity or continued residence in |
25 | the election district: Provided, however, That no person shall |
26 | be entitled to vote as a member of a party at any primary, |
27 | unless [he] the person is: |
28 | (1) registered and enrolled as a member of such party upon |
29 | the district register, which enrollment shall be conclusive as |
30 | to [his] party membership and shall not be subject to challenge |
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1 | on the day of the primary[.] ; or |
2 | (2) registered as an independent or nonparty voter, in which |
3 | case the person may vote for the candidates of the party of the |
4 | voter's choice, the choice to be made at the polling place on |
5 | the day of the primary election. The voter's choice of parties |
6 | at one primary election shall not preclude the voter from |
7 | choosing a different party at a subsequent primary election. |
8 | * * * |
9 | Section 4. This act shall apply to primary elections which |
10 | take place after December 31, 2011. |
11 | Section 5. This act shall take effect immediately. |
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