PRINTER'S NO. 3119
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2137
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY HAHN, R. BROWN AND PICKETT, MARCH 12, 2018
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 12, 2018
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled
"An act concerning elections, including general, municipal,
special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates,
primary and election expenses and election contests; creating
and defining membership of county boards of elections;
imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth,
courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners;
imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying,
revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and
repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to
elections," in election districts and polling places, further
providing for public buildings to be used where possible and
portable polling places.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 527(a) of the act of June 3, 1937
(P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is
amended to read:
Section 527. Public Buildings to Be Used Where Possible;
Portable Polling Places.--(a) In selecting polling places, the
county board of elections shall, wherever possible and
practicable, select [schoolhouses,] municipal buildings or
rooms, or other public buildings for that purpose. Any board of
public education or school directors, or county or the municipal
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authorities shall, upon request of the county board, make
arrangements for the use of school property, or of county or
municipal property for polling places. In selecting polling
places, the county board of elections shall make every effort to
avoid selecting schoolhouses as polling places and to select
polling places that provide all electors and other persons who
may be lawfully present within the polling place with an
environment that is free from intimidation and violence.
In the event no available public building as contemplated
under this section is situated within the boundaries of any
election district, the county board of elections may, not less
than twenty days prior to any election, designate as the polling
place for such election district any such public building
situated in another election district within the same or
immediately adjacent ward, or, if there are no wards, then
within the same borough or township as the case may be, provided
such other building is located in an election district which is
immediately adjacent to the boundary of the election district
for which it is to be the polling place and is directly
accessible therefrom by public street or thoroughfare. Two or
more polling places may be located in the same public building
under this section. A polling place may be selected and
designated hereunder less than twenty days prior to any
election, with the approval of a court of competent
jurisdiction.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall apply to elections occurring at
least 60 days after the effective date of this section.
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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