THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY SCHWANK, HUGHES, RAFFERTY, FONTANA, FARNESE, SOLOBAY, BOSCOLA AND EARLL, JUNE 23, 2011

REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, JUNE 23, 2011  

A JOINT RESOLUTION

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth

of Pennsylvania, further providing for absentee voting.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby resolves as follows:

Section 1.  The following amendment to the Constitution of

Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:

That section 14 of Article VII be amended to read:

§ 14.  Absentee voting.

(a)  The Legislature shall, by general law, provide a manner

in which, and the time and place at which, qualified electors

[who may, on the occurrence of any election, be absent from the

municipality of their residence, because their duties,

occupation or business require them to be elsewhere or who, on

the occurrence of any election, are unable to attend at their

proper polling places because of illness or physical disability

or who will not attend a polling place because of the observance

of a religious holiday or who cannot vote because of election

day duties, in the case of a county employee,] may vote apart

from physically appearing at their designated polling station on

the day of an election, and for the return and canvass of their

votes in the election district in which they respectively

reside.

(b)  For purposes of this section, "municipality" means a

city, borough, incorporated town, township or any similar

general purpose unit of government which may be created by the

General Assembly.

Section 2.  (a)  Upon the first passage by the General

Assembly of this proposed constitutional amendment, the

Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to

comply with the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article

XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the

required advertisements to two newspapers in every county in

which such newspapers are published in sufficient time after

passage of this proposed constitutional amendment.

(b)  Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of this

proposed constitutional amendment, the Secretary of the

Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the

advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the

Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required

advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such

newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of

this proposed constitutional amendment. The Secretary of the

Commonwealth shall submit this proposed constitutional amendment

to the qualified electors of this Commonwealth at the first

primary, general or municipal election which meets the

requirements of and is in conformance with section 1 of Article

XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and which occurs at least

three months after the proposed constitutional amendment is

passed by the General Assembly.