PRINTER'S NO. 256
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
294
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY FONTANA, FARNESE, BLAKE, HUGHES, BREWSTER, COSTA,
STREET, COLLETT, HAYWOOD, BOSCOLA, YUDICHAK AND BROWNE,
FEBRUARY 14, 2019
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 14, 2019
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," providing for conduct of early voting in
primaries and elections.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known
as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is amended by adding an
article to read:
ARTICLE XII-A
CONDUCT OF EARLY VOTING
IN PRIMARIES AND ELECTIONS
Section 1201-A. Early voting period.
A county board shall provide for early voting which shall
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begin 15 days prior to the dates of primaries and elections
established under Article VI and end 14 days after the starting
date.
Section 1202-A. Early voting sites.
A county board shall designate early voting sites where
electors may cast ballots during the early voting period
established under section 1201-A. These sites shall include the
main office of the county board and any other sites designated
by the county board. The county board shall make available at
these sites the same equipment used on election day under
Article XI. The early voting sites shall be geographically
located to provide electors in the election district an equal
opportunity to cast a ballot.
Section 1203-A. Days and times for opening and closing polls at
early voting sites.
A county board shall designate the days and times that early
voting sites will be open. All early voting sites throughout the
county shall:
(1) have uniform days and times of operation;
(2) be open eight hours each weekday;
(3) be open a minimum of an aggregate eight hours each
weekend; and
(4) not open prior to 7 a.m. Eastern Standard Time or
close before 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Section 1204-A. Voting check list.
A county board shall maintain a voting check list as provided
for in section 1212 in order to ensure that electors are
prohibited from casting additional ballots at either an early
voting site or on election day in the elector's precinct.
Section 1205-A. Disposition of returns.
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A county board shall track votes by precinct but may not
tabulate votes prior to the close of the polls on election day.
Section 1206-A. Notice of early voting.
A county board shall, no earlier than 15 days nor later than
9 days before each November election, give notice of early
voting by newspaper publication in the county in accordance with
the provisions of section 106. The notice shall be published
twice in counties of the first class and once in all other
counties. A county board shall also post the notice on the
county board's publicly accessible Internet website.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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