PRINTER'S NO. 3168
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
808
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY ORTITAY, R. BROWN, V. BROWN, DAVIS, EVERETT,
GIBBONS, PHILLIPS-HILL, LONGIETTI, MARSHALL, MILLARD, MILNE,
PICKETT, RADER, ROSS, THOMAS, WARD, WARNER AND READSHAW,
APRIL 12, 2016
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 12, 2016
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Establishing a task force on voting system technology
modernization and creating an advisory committee.
WHEREAS, Section 6 of Article VII of the Constitution of
Pennsylvania establishes that the selection of voting systems,
or voting machines, is a local decision rather than the result
of a Statewide mandate; and
WHEREAS, The Pennsylvania Election Code imposes a duty on
each county to purchase or lease the voting system or systems to
be used within the county and thus the cost of maintaining and
replacing voting systems is largely borne by the counties; and
WHEREAS, Under the Pennsylvania Election Code, the Secretary
of the Commonwealth must examine and approve voting systems to
be used in this Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, There are 10 different electronic voting systems
used in Pennsylvania's 67 counties; and
WHEREAS, According to the National Conference of State
Legislatures, most of the voting systems used around the nation
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were bought with the help of Federal money made available
through the Help America Vote Act of 2002; and
WHEREAS, According to the National Conference of State
Legislatures, state and county election officials have
identified aging voting equipment as one of their top challenges
over the next few years; and
WHEREAS, Reliable and accurate voting systems are vital to
fair and free elections in this Commonwealth and across this
nation; therefore be it
RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
direct the Joint State Government Commission to establish a task
force on voting system technology modernization; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the task force consist of one member appointed
by the President pro tempore of the Senate, one member appointed
by the Majority Leader of the Senate, one member appointed by
the Minority Leader of the Senate, one member appointed by the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, one member appointed by
the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives and one
member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission create
an advisory committee, including, but not limited to, the
following individuals:
(1) the Pennsylvania Commissioner of Elections or his
designee;
(2) four directors of election recommended by the task
force, each from a county that utilizes a different type of
voting system;
(3) two county commissioners recommended by the County
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Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, no more than one
of whom are from the same political party;
(4) a representative recommended by the Committee of
Seventy;
(5) a representative with expertise in election
technology recommended by a college or university in this
Commonwealth; and
(6) a representative recommended by a disability
advocacy organization; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the advisory committee review all voting
systems currently in use in this Commonwealth with a focus on
the projected lifetime of each voting system's technology, costs
associated with maintaining and repairing each voting system and
information regarding user experiences with each voting system;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That the advisory committee gather information
regarding voting systems that are used in other states, but that
are not currently utilized in Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the advisory committee gather information
regarding the funding and methods for obtaining voting systems
that are utilized in other states; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the advisory committee review the process
currently utilized in Pennsylvania to examine and certify voting
systems in this Commonwealth; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the advisory committee examine potential
options for upgrading, modernizing and replacing voting systems
and their technology when they become obsolete; and be it
further
RESOLVED, That the task force and advisory committee submit a
report to the General Assembly no later than November 30, 2016,
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that includes the advisory committee's findings regarding voting
systems in use in Pennsylvania, voting systems used in other
states, the process currently utilized in Pennsylvania to
examine and certify voting systems in this Commonwealth and
potential avenues and options for upgrading, modernizing and
replacing obsolete voting system technology; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the report include recommendations regarding
the benefits of various potential voting system options,
possible avenues for providing financial assistance to counties
and voting system purchasing and contracting alternatives.
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