PRINTER'S NO. 495
No. 464 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY BOSCOLA, MUSTO AND KUKOVICH, MARCH 12, 2003
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 12, 2003
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled
2 "An act concerning elections, including general, municipal,
3 special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates,
4 primary and election expenses and election contests; creating
5 and defining membership of county boards of elections;
6 imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth,
7 courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners;
8 imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying,
9 revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and
10 repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to
11 elections," setting forth a concise statement of voter's
12 rights; requiring that the statement of voter's rights be
13 visible in voter registration offices and polling places; and
14 providing for polling place accessibility.
15 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
16 hereby enacts as follows:
17 Section 1. The act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known
18 as the Pennsylvania Election Code is amended by adding a section
19 to read:
20 Section 107. Voter's Bill of Rights.--(a) The following
21 rights are guaranteed to all registered voters in this
22 Commonwealth:
23 (1) A voter who is in line at the correct polling place
1 during the hours it is required by law to be open may vote, even
2 if his turn to vote does not come until after those hours
3 expire.
4 (2) If a voter has moved from his polling district to
5 another, he may return to his original polling district to vote
6 for as long as he remains qualified there. To be eligible to
7 vote in the new polling district, he must either file a notice
8 of removal with the voting registrar or register anew.
9 (3) A voter who has a physical disability or who cannot read
10 or write may apply to the voting registrar for a special needs
11 ballot, but this must be done at least ten days before the
12 election.
13 (4) A voter may bring his children who are not yet eighteen
14 years of age into the voting booth with him.
15 (5) A voter has the right to vote without being intimidated
16 or forced to vote for someone he does not wish to vote for.
17 (6) A voter who believes that any of his voting rights have
18 been impinged may call his local police.
19 (b) A listing of the rights set forth under subsection (a)
20 shall be posted publicly in each voter registration office and,
21 on election days, polling place.
22 Section 2. Section 527(a) of the act, amended July 1, 1987
23 (P.L.178, No.20), is amended to read:
24 Section 527. Public Buildings to Be Used Where Possible;
25 Portable Polling Places.--(a) In selecting polling places, the
26 county board of elections shall, wherever possible and
27 practicable, select schoolhouses, municipal buildings or rooms,
28 or other public buildings for that purpose and shall ensure that
29 the place selected is accessible by persons with physical
30 disabilities. Any board of public education or school directors,
20030S0464B0495 - 2 -
1 or county or the municipal authorities shall, upon request of
2 the county board, make arrangements for the use of school
3 property, or of county or municipal property for polling places.
4 In the event no available public building as contemplated
5 under this section is situated within the boundaries of any
6 election district, the county board of elections may, not less
7 than ten days prior to any election, designate as the polling
8 place for such election district any such public building
9 situated in another election district within the same ward, or,
10 if there are no wards, then within the same borough or township
11 as the case may be, provided such other building is located in
12 an election district which is immediately adjacent to the
13 boundary of the election district for which it is to be the
14 polling place and is directly accessible therefrom by public
15 street or thoroughfare. Two or more polling places may be
16 located in the same public building under this section. A
17 polling place may be selected and designated hereunder less than
18 ten days prior to any election, with the approval of a court of
19 competent jurisdiction.
20 * * *
21 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
B25L25RLE/20030S0464B0495 - 3 -