PRINTER'S NO. 646
No. 609 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY BOSCOLA, COSTA, LOGAN, BODACK, KUKOVICH, MUSTO,
STACK AND KASUNIC, MARCH 12, 2001
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 12, 2001
AN ACT
1 Authorizing assistance to counties for voting modernization;
2 providing for the powers and duties of the Secretary of the
3 Commonwealth; and establishing the Voting Modernization
4 Commission.
5 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7 Section 1. Short title.
8 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Voting
9 Modernization Act.
10 Section 2. Legislative findings.
11 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
12 (1) The modernization of voting methods in Pennsylvania
13 can increase both the accuracy and accessibility of our
14 electoral process.
15 (2) To modernize our voting technology, the State should
16 create a capital outlay fund to assist counties to purchase
17 updated voting technology.
18 (3) To further improve voter participation, greater
1 outreach and education are needed on the rules and guidelines
2 of the voting process.
3 (4) The State should provide funds to conduct a
4 comprehensive voter education campaign.
5 Section 3. Secretary of the Commonwealth duties.
6 (a) Assistance to counties.--
7 (1) The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall provide
8 assistance to selected counties to modernize the counties'
9 voting process.
10 (2) To be eligible for consideration and assistance,
11 counties may submit requests for modernization funds directly
12 to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Participation by a
13 county shall be voluntary.
14 (b) Development of criteria.--The Secretary of the
15 Commonwealth shall develop criteria to be used to evaluate
16 county requests for modernization assistance. The criteria shall
17 include, but not be limited to, the need for reduction or
18 elimination of punch card ballots, the need for greater access
19 to, and accuracy of, the electoral process and the willingness
20 and ability of the county to provide on-line voting.
21 (c) Referral to Voting Modernization Commission.--The
22 Secretary of the Commonwealth shall submit county requests for
23 modernization assistance to the Voting Modernization Commission
24 established in section 4. The commission shall consider and
25 evaluate each request using the criteria developed by the
26 Secretary of the Commonwealth pursuant to subsection (b) and
27 submit its recommendations to the Secretary of the Commonwealth
28 for appropriate action.
29 Section 4. Voting Modernization Commission.
30 The Voting Modernization Commission is hereby established,
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1 consisting of seven members. Three members of the commission
2 shall be appointed by the Governor and shall be representative
3 of eastern, western and rural geographical areas of this
4 Commonwealth. Two members of the commission shall be appointed
5 by the President pro tempore of the Senate and two members shall
6 be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The
7 commission shall consist of members who are representative of a
8 broad demographic spectrum indicative of this Commonwealth's
9 electorate.
10 Section 5. Voter education media campaign.
11 The Secretary of the Commonwealth, in conjunction with the
12 Governor's Office, shall establish a Statewide voter education
13 media campaign. The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall not
14 expend any funds to establish this media campaign unless funds
15 are appropriated expressly for the purposes of this section. No
16 governmental or elected official shall appear, or be referenced,
17 in the voter education campaign.
18 Section 6. Effective date.
19 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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