PRINTER'S NO. 1661
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
31
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY DAY, ARMANINI, COX, DOWLING, FRITZ, GILLEN, HAMM,
KAUFFMAN, KERWIN, MILLARD, PENNYCUICK, ROWE AND RYAN,
JUNE 3, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JUNE 3, 2021
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 mail-in electors,
providing for drop boxes and drop-off locations.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known
as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is amended by adding a
section to read:
Section 1309-D. Drop boxes and drop-off locations.
(a) Location and monitoring.--The following apply to a
designated drop box and a drop-off location that is authorized
to accept ballots for an election:
(1) The drop box may only be located in a staffed area
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of a building operated by the Commonwealth or a municipality.
The drop box may not be located on any property owned or
operated by a school district.
(2) A county board, in coordination with the Department
of State, shall contract to have a video monitoring system
installed to surveil each drop box and drop-off location
during those times that ballots may be received.
(b) Receipt of ballots.--A designated drop box or drop-off
location that is authorized to accept ballots for an election
shall:
(1) Accept only one ballot at a time.
(2) Af fix a date, time and location stamp to the mailing
envelope of each ballot.
(3) Scan and record any bar code required by law or
other similar measure designed to electronically distinguish
a qualified elector's ballot security envelope.
(c) Oversight.--A county board shall permit oversight of the
collection and transportation of the ballots received at each
designated drop box or drop-off location from representatives of
the three political parties with the highest number of
registered electors in the county.
(d) Penalties.--In addition to the penalties prescribed in
this act and in 25 Pa.C.S. (relating to elections), a person
that willfully tampers with a drop box or video monitoring
system for the purpose of impeding, preventing or otherwise
interfering with the collection or recording of ballots shall
also be subject to penalties under 18 U.S.C. Ch. 63 (relating to
mail fraud and other fraud offenses).
(e) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
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subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Municipality." A county, city, borough, incorporated town
or township.
Section 2. This act shall apply to elections occurring more
than 90 days after the effective date of this section.
Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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