PRIOR PASSAGE - NONE
PRINTER'S NO. 300
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
302
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY COHEN, BARBIN, V. BROWN, BROWNLEE, CARROLL,
D. COSTA, DAVIDSON, DAVIS, DEASY, DeLUCA, KORTZ, MATZIE,
McCARTER, McNEILL, O'BRIEN, PASHINSKI, READSHAW, SCHLOSSBERG,
SCHREIBER, SCHWEYER, THOMAS, YOUNGBLOOD AND DEAN,
FEBRUARY 2, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 2, 2015
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:
ยง 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
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
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.] the following electors may
vote absentee and for the return and canvass of their votes:
(1) Qualified electors who, on the occurrence of any
election, may be absent from the municipality of their residence
because their duties, occupation or business require them to be
elsewhere.
(2) Qualified electors who, on the occurrence of any
election, are unable to attend at their proper polling places
because of illness or physical disability.
(3) Qualified electors who, on the occurrence of any
election, will not attend a polling place because of the
observance of a religious holiday.
(4) Qualified electors who are county employees who, on the
occurrence of any election, cannot vote in person because of
election day duties.
(5) Qualified electors who are 60 years of age or older.
(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
20150HB0302PN0300 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
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.
20150HB0302PN0300 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16