PRINTER'S NO. 2158
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1643
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY CRUZ, CALTAGIRONE, HILL-EVANS AND KIRKLAND,
JUNE 17, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JUNE 17, 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 the Secretary of the Commonwealth, further
providing for powers and duties of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth; and, in district election officers, further
providing for appointment of watchers.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 201 of the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333,
No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is amended by
adding a subsection to read:
Section 201. Powers and Duties of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth.--The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall exercise
in the manner provided by this act all powers granted to him by
this act, and shall perform all the duties imposed upon him by
this act, which shall include the following:
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(f.3) To develop a mandatory professional certification and
poll watcher training program for use by county election
officials in consultation with county boards. Each poll watcher
shall attend at least one training class provided by the county
of residence before each election at which the poll watcher will
serve. A certificate of training shall be provided to a poll
watcher at the successful completion of training. The
certificate must be presented by the poll watcher at the polling
place before poll watching to verify training.
* * *
Section 2. Section 417(b) of the act is amended to read:
Section 417. Appointment of Watchers.--
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(b) Each watcher so appointed must be a qualified registered
elector of the county in which the election district for which
the watcher was appointed is located. Each watcher so appointed
shall be authorized to serve only in the election district for
which the watcher was appointed [and, when the watcher is not
serving in the election district for which the watcher was
appointed, in any other election district in the county in which
the watcher is a qualified registered elector]: Provided, That
only one watcher for each candidate at primaries, or for each
party or political body at general, municipal or special
elections, shall be present in the polling place at any one time
from the time that the election officers meet prior to the
opening of the polls under section 1208 until the time that the
counting of votes is complete and the district register and
voting check list is locked and sealed, and all watchers in the
room shall remain outside the enclosed space. [It shall not be a
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requirement that a watcher] A watcher must be a resident of the
election district for which the watcher is appointed. After the
close of the polls and while the ballots are being counted or
voting machine canvassed, all the watchers shall be permitted to
be in the polling place outside the enclosed space. Each watcher
shall be provided with a certificate from the county board of
elections, stating his name and the name of the candidate, party
or political body he represents. Watchers shall be required to
show their certificates when requested to do so. Watchers
allowed in the polling place under the provisions of this act,
shall be permitted to keep a list of voters and shall be
entitled to challenge any person making application to vote and
to require proof of his qualifications, as provided by this act.
During those intervals when voters are not present in the
polling place either voting or waiting to vote, the judge of
elections shall permit watchers, upon request, to inspect the
voting check list and either of the two numbered lists of voters
maintained by the county board: Provided, That the watcher shall
not mark upon or alter these official election records. The
judge of elections shall supervise or delegate the inspection of
any requested documents.
* * *
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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