THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY JOSEPHS, BEYER, BISHOP, BRENNAN, BROWN, CARROLL, COHEN, CONKLIN, CURRY, DePASQUALE, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEORGE, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, JOHNSON, KORTZ, LONGIETTI, MANDERINO, McGEEHAN, McILVAINE SMITH, MUNDY, MURT, M. O'BRIEN, OLIVER, PAYTON, PRESTON, ROEBUCK, SIPTROTH, VITALI, WALKO, WATERS AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 24, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 24, 2009  

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(a) 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

may vote by mail, including, but not limited to, any military

elector, as defined by law, and 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, and for the return and canvass

of their votes in the election district in which they

respectively reside.

* * *

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.