Regular Session 2019-2020 House Bill 2007 P.N. 2811

PRINTER'S NO. 2811

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

2007

Session of

2019

INTRODUCED BY RABB, SOLOMON, KINSEY, WEBSTER, SCHLOSSBERG,

CALTAGIRONE, KENYATTA, MADDEN, STURLA, ROZZI, HILL-EVANS AND

KEEFER, OCTOBER 29, 2019

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, OCTOBER 29, 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 elections districts and polling places,

further providing for equipment and arrangement of polling

places, guard rail, number of voting compartments of voting

machines; in nomination of candidates, further providing for

casting of lots for position of names upon the primary

ballots or ballot labels and notice to candidates; and, in

ballots, further providing for form of official primary

ballot.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 530 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 530. Equipment and Arrangement of Polling Places;

Guard Rail; Number of Voting Compartments or Voting Machines.--

* * *

(a.1) The position of candidate names for the same office on

a ballot shall be randomized between polling places within an

election district in accordance with section 915.

* * *

Section 2. Sections 915 and 1002(b) and (c) of the act are

amended to read:

Section 915. [Casting of Lots for] Randomized Position of

Names Upon the Primary Ballots or Ballot Labels; Notice to

Candidates.--Immediately after the last day fixed for filing of

such nomination petitions with them, the Secretary of the

Commonwealth or the county board, as the case may be, shall fix

a day [for the casting of lots], in such manner as may be

prescribed by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, or county

board, as the case may be, for the randomized position of names

upon the primary ballots or ballot labels[.] between polling

places. The position of names within the same polling place

shall be uniform. The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall give

at least two (2) days notice by mail of said date to all

candidates whose petitions have been received and filed in his

office, and the county board shall give at least two (2) days

notice of said date by posting thereof in a conspicuous place in

its office, and by publication once in at least two newspapers

of general circulation published in the county. All candidates

may appear in person, or by agent duly authorized by letter of

attorney, signed and acknowledged by an officer empowered to

take acknowledgments. In the event of any of said candidates not

being present in person or by representative at the time of

[casting of lots] randomization, it shall be the duty of the

Secretary of the Commonwealth or the county board, as the case

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may be, to appoint some person to represent such absentee. After

said [lots are cast] randomization, the Secretary of the

Commonwealth or the county board, as the case may be, shall

accordingly establish the order in which the names of said

candidates are to appear upon the primary ballots or ballot

labels for each polling place, and certify the same for placing

upon the official primary ballots or ballot labels.

Section 1002. Form of Official Primary Ballot.--* * *

(b) On the back of each ballot shall be printed in prominent

type the words "OFFICIAL PRIMARY BALLOT OF ........PARTY FOR"

followed by the designation of the election district for which

it is prepared, the date of the primary and the facsimile

signatures of the members of the county board of elections. The

names of candidates shall in all cases be arranged under the

title of the office for which they are candidates, and be

printed thereunder in the order determined by [the casting of

lots] randomization as provided by [this act] section 915. Under

the title of such offices where more than one candidate is to be

voted for, shall be printed "Vote for not more than ........"

(the blank space to indicate the number of candidates to be

voted for the particular office.) At the right of the name of

each candidate there shall be a square of sufficient size for

the convenient insertion of a cross (x) or check ( ) mark. There

shall be left at the end of the list of candidates for each

office (or under the title of the office itself in case there be

no candidates who have filed nomination petitions therefor) as

many blank spaces as there are persons to be voted for, for such

office, in which space the elector may insert the name of any

person whose name is not printed on the ballot as a candidate

for such office. Opposite or under the name of each candidate,

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except candidates for the office of President of the United

States and candidates for delegate or alternate delegate to a

National Party Convention, who is to be voted for by the

electors of more than one county, shall be printed the name of

the county in which such candidate resides; and opposite or

under the name of each candidate except candidates for delegate

or alternate delegate to a National Party Convention who is to

be voted for by the electors of an entire county or any

congressional, senatorial or representative district within the

county, shall be printed the name of the city, borough, township

or ward, as the case may be, in which such candidate resides.

districts, offices, candidates and the random position of

candidate names or the provisions of this act may require.

* * *

Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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