PRINTER'S NO. 3508
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
2492
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY FLEMING, D. WILLIAMS, RABB, HOWARD, GIRAL, MADSEN,
HILL-EVANS, KHAN, SCHLOSSBERG, SANCHEZ, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, BOYD,
SHUSTERMAN AND CIRESI, JULY 11, 2024
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JULY 11, 2024
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 county boards of elections, further providing
for expenses of county boards and of primaries and elections
to be paid by county, expenses of special elections and
boards to be provided with offices; and, in returns of
primaries and elections, further providing for place of
meeting for computation of votes, notice, papers to be
prepared and assistants to be sworn and for computation of
returns by county board, certification and issuance of
certificates of election.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Sections 305(b), 1403(a) and 1404(a) of the act
of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania
Election Code, are amended to read:
Section 305. Expenses of County Boards and of Primaries and
Elections to Be Paid by County; Expenses of Special Elections;
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Boards to Be Provided with Offices.--
* * *
(b) The county commissioners or other appropriating
authorities of the county shall provide the county board with a
suitable and adequate office or suitable and adequate offices
[at the county seat], located within the county, properly
furnished for keeping its records, holding its public sessions
and otherwise performing its public duties[, and shall also
provide such branch offices for the board in cities other than
the county seat], as may be necessary.
* * *
Section 1403. Place of Meeting for Computation of Votes;
Notice; Papers to Be Prepared; Assistants to Be Sworn.--
(a) The county board of elections shall arrange for the
computation and canvassing of the returns of votes cast at each
primary and election at its office or at some other convenient
public place [at] in the county [seat] with adequate
accommodations for the watchers and attorneys authorized by this
act to be present, who shall be permitted to keep or check their
own computation of the votes cast in the several election
districts as the returns from the same are read, as hereinafter
directed. The county board shall give at least one week's
previous notice by newspaper publication, as provided by section
106 of this act, of the time and place when and where the board
will commence and hold its sessions for the computation and
canvassing of the returns, including at other offices as
provided by section 305 of this act, and keep copies of such
advertisement posted in its office during said period. The
county board shall also prepare a sufficient number of blank
forms of returns made out in proper manner, and headed as the
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nature of the primary or election may require, for making out
full and fair statements of all votes which shall have been cast
within the county or any political district therein, according
to the returns from the several election districts thereof, for
any person voted for therein, or upon any question voted upon
therein. All the clerks of the county board and other persons
designated to assist in the computation and canvassing of the
votes shall be first sworn to perform their duties impartially
and not read, write, count or certify any return or vote falsely
or fraudulently.
* * *
Section 1404. Computation of Returns by County Board;
Certification; Issuance of Certificates of Election.--
(a) The county board shall, at nine o'clock A. M. on the
third day following the primary or election, at its office or at
some other convenient public place [at] in the county [seat], of
which due notice shall have been given as provided by section
1403, publicly commence the computation and canvassing of the
returns, and continue the same from day to day until completed,
in the manner hereinafter provided. For this purpose any county
board may organize itself into sections, each of which may
simultaneously proceed with the computation and canvassing of
the returns from various districts of the county in the manner
provided by this section. Upon the completion of such
computation and canvassing, the board shall tabulate the figures
for the entire county and sign, announce and attest the same, as
required by this section.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in one year.
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