PRINTER'S NO. 1891
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1506
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY DOWLING, HENNESSEY, MILLARD, KINSEY, ULLMAN,
WILLIAMS, TURZAI, WARNER, KEEFER, HOHENSTEIN, FREEMAN,
MACKENZIE, CIRESI, GAYDOS, OBERLANDER AND WARREN,
MAY 23, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MAY 23, 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," in voting by qualified absentee electors, further
providing for delivering or mailing ballots, for voting by
absentee electors and for canvassing of official absentee
ballots.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Sections 1305(b), 1306(a) introductory paragraph
and 1308(a) of the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known
as the Pennsylvania Election Code, are amended to read:
Section 1305. Delivering or Mailing Ballots.--
* * *
(b) The county board of elections upon receipt and approval
of an application filed by any elector qualified in accordance
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with the provisions of section 1301, subsections (i) to (l),
inclusive, shall commence to deliver or mail official absentee
ballots on the [second] fourth Tuesday prior to the primary or
election[.], except that absentee ballots for electors qualified
in accordance with section 1301, subsections (a) to (h),
inclusive, shall be processed and delivered or mailed with a
priority over absentee ballots of electors qualified in
accordance with section 1301, subsections (i) to (l), inclusive.
For those applicants whose proof of identification was not
provided with the application or could not be verified by the
board, the board shall send the notice required under section
1302.2(d) with the absentee ballot. As additional applications
are received and approved, the board shall deliver or mail
official absentee ballots to such additional electors within
forty-eight hours.
* * *
Section 1306. Voting by Absentee Electors.--(a) Except as
provided in paragraphs (1), (2) and (3), at any time after
receiving an official absentee ballot, but on or before five
o'clock P.M. on the [Friday] Monday prior to the primary or
election, the elector shall, in secret, proceed to mark the
ballot only in black lead pencil, indelible pencil or blue,
black or blue-black ink, in fountain pen or ball point pen, and
then fold the ballot, enclose and securely seal the same in the
envelope on which is printed, stamped or endorsed "Official
Absentee Ballot."
* * *
Section 1308. Canvassing of Official Absentee Ballots.--(a)
The county boards of election, upon receipt of official absentee
ballots in such envelopes, shall safely keep the same in sealed
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or locked containers until they distribute same to the
appropriate local election districts in a manner prescribed by
the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Except as provided in section 1302.1(a.2), the county board
of elections shall then distribute the absentee ballots,
unopened, to the absentee voter's respective election district
concurrently with the distribution of the other election
supplies. Absentee ballots shall be canvassed immediately and
continuously without interruption until completed after the
close of the polls on the day of the election in each election
district. The results of the canvass of the absentee ballots
shall then be included in and returned to the county board with
the returns of that district. Except as provided in section
1302.1(a.2) and subsection (g), no absentee ballot shall be
counted which is received in the office of the county board of
election later than five o'clock P.M. on the [Friday] Monday
immediately preceding the primary or November election.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall apply to any general, municipal,
special or primary election held after July 1, 2019.
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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