PRINTER'S NO. 994
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
982
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY PASHINSKI, MERSKI, GUENST, HILL-EVANS, MADDEN,
SANCHEZ, SCHLOSSBERG, BURGOS, SCHWEYER, T. DAVIS, FREEMAN,
DeLUCA, DEASY, A. DAVIS, WEBSTER, DELLOSO, WARREN, ISAACSON
AND CIRESI, MARCH 19, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 19, 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 absentee electors, further
providing for canvassing of official absentee ballots and
mail-in ballots.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 1308(g)(1.1) of the act of June 3, 1937
(P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code,
amended March 27, 2020 (P.L.41, No.12), is amended to read:
Section 1308. Canvassing of Official Absentee Ballots and
Mail-in Ballots.--* * *
(g) * * *
(1.1) [The county board of elections shall meet no earlier
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than seven o'clock A.M. on election day to pre-canvass all
ballots received prior to the meeting.] The following apply:
(i) A county board of elections shall meet as follows:
(A) In a county of the first class, second class or second
class A, the county board of elections shall meet no earlier
than seven o'clock A.M. fourteen (14) days prior to election day
to pre-canvass ballots received prior to the meeting and through
one day before election day.
(B) In a county of the third class, the county board of
elections shall meet no earlier than seven o'clock A.M. seven
(7) days prior to election day to pre-canvass ballots received
prior to the meeting and through one day before election day.
(C) In a county of the fourth class, fifth class, sixth
class, seventh class or eighth class, the county board of
elections shall meet no earlier than seven o'clock A.M. the
third day prior to election day to pre-canvass ballots received
prior to the meeting and through one day before election day.
(ii) A county board of elections shall provide at least
forty-eight hours' notice of a pre-canvass meeting by publicly
posting a notice of a pre-canvass meeting on its publicly
accessible Internet website. One authorized representative of
each candidate in an election and one representative from each
political party shall be permitted to remain in the room in
which the absentee ballots and mail-in ballots are pre-
canvassed. No person observing, attending or participating in a
pre-canvass meeting may disclose the results of any portion of
any pre-canvass meeting prior to the close of the polls.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20210HB0982PN0994 - 2 -
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