1Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled
2"An act concerning elections, including general, municipal,
3special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates,
4primary and election expenses and election contests; creating
5and defining membership of county boards of elections;
6imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth,
7courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners;
8imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying,
9revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and
10repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to
11elections," further providing for applications for official
12absentee ballots.

13The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
14hereby enacts as follows:

15Section 1. Section 1302(e.1) of the act of June 3, 1937
16(P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code,
17amended February 13, 1998 (P.L.72, No.18), is amended to read:

18Section 1302. Applications for Official Absentee Ballots.--*
19* *

20(e.1) Any qualified registered elector, including any
21qualified bedridden or hospitalized veteran, who is unable
22because of illness or physical disability to attend his polling

1place on the day of any primary or election or operate a voting
2machine and state distinctly and audibly that he is unable to do
3so as required by section 1218 of this act may, with the
4certification by his attending physician that he is permanently
5disabled, and physically unable to attend the polls or operate a
6voting machine and make the distinct and audible statement
7required by section 1218 appended to the application
8hereinbefore required, be placed on a permanently disabled
9absentee ballot list file. An absentee ballot application shall
10be mailed to every such person for each primary or election so
11long as he does not lose his voting rights by failure to vote as
12otherwise required by this act. Such person shall not be
13required to file a physician's certificate of disability with
14each application as required in subsection (e) of this section
15[but such person must submit a written statement asserting
16continuing disability every four years in order to maintain his
17eligibility to vote under the provisions of this subsection].
18Should any such person lose his disability he shall inform the
19county board of elections of the county of his residence.

20* * *

21Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.