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§ 3146.6. Voting by absentee electors

Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes and Consolidated StatutesTitle 25 P.S. Elections & Electoral DistrictsEffective: March 27, 2020

Purdon's Pennsylvania Statutes and Consolidated Statutes
Title 25 P.S. Elections & Electoral Districts (Refs & Annos)
Chapter 14. Election Code (Refs & Annos)
Article XIII. Voting by Qualified Absentee Electors (Refs & Annos)
Effective: March 27, 2020
25 P.S. § 3146.6
§ 3146.6. Voting by absentee electors
<Section 17 of Act 2020, March 27, P.L. 41, No. 12, imd. effective, provides that the amendment of 25 P.S. § 3146.6(a) by that Act shall apply to envelopes and ballots purchased, printed or acquired after March 27, 2020 and that the amendment of 25 P.S. § 3146.6(b) by that Act shall apply to elections occurring on or after November 2, 2020.>
(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), at any time after receiving an official absentee ballot, but on or before eight o'clock P.M. the day of the primary or election, the elector shall, in secret, proceed to mark the ballot only in black lead pencil, indelible pencil or blue, black or blue-black ink, in fountain pen or ball point pen, and then fold the ballot, enclose and securely seal the same in the envelope on which is printed, stamped or endorsed “Official Election Ballot.” This envelope shall then be placed in the second one, on which is printed the form of declaration of the elector, and the address of the elector's county board of election and the local election district of the elector. The elector shall then fill out, date and sign the declaration printed on such envelope. Such envelope shall then be securely sealed and the elector shall send same by mail, postage prepaid, except where franked, or deliver it in person to said county board of election.
(1) Deleted by 2019, Oct. 31, P.L. 552, No. 77, § 6, imd. effective.
(2) Any elector, spouse of the elector or dependent of the elector, qualified in accordance with the provisions of section 1301, subsections (e), (f), (g) and (h)1 to vote by absentee ballot as herein provided, shall be required to include on the form of declaration a supporting declaration in form prescribed by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, to be signed by the head of the department or chief of division or bureau in which the elector is employed, setting forth the identity of the elector, spouse of the elector or dependent of the elector.
(3) Any elector who has filed his application in accordance with section 1302 subsection (e) (2),2 and is unable to sign his declaration because of illness or physical disability, shall be excused from signing upon making a declaration which shall be witnessed by one adult person in substantially the following form: I hereby declare that I am unable to sign my declaration for voting my absentee ballot without assistance because I am unable to write by reason of my illness or physical disability. I have made or received assistance in making my mark in lieu of my signature.
 
 
(Date)
(Mark)
 
 
(Complete Address of Witness)
(Signature of Witness)
(b)(1) Any elector who receives and votes an absentee ballot pursuant to section 1301 shall not be eligible to vote at a polling place on election day. The district register at each polling place shall clearly identify electors who have received and voted absentee ballots as ineligible to vote at the polling place, and district election officers shall not permit electors who voted an absentee ballot to vote at the polling place.
(2) An elector who requests an absentee ballot and who is not shown on the district register as having voted the ballot may vote by provisional ballot under section 1210(a.4)(1).3
(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (2), an elector who requests an absentee ballot and who is not shown on the district register as having voted the ballot may vote at the polling place if the elector remits the ballot and the envelope containing the declaration of the elector to the judge of elections to be spoiled and the elector signs a statement subject to the penalties under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904 (relating to unsworn falsification to authorities) in substantially the following form:
I hereby declare that I am a qualified registered elector who has obtained an absentee ballot or mail-in ballot. I further declare that I have not cast my absentee ballot or mail-in ballot, and that instead I remitted my absentee ballot or mail-in ballot and the envelope containing the declaration of the elector to the judge of elections at my polling place to be spoiled and therefore request that my absentee ballot or mail-in ballot be voided.
(Date)
(Signature of Elector) .......... (Address of Elector)
(Local Judge of Elections)
(c) Except as provided under 25 Pa.C.S. § 3511 (relating to receipt of voted ballot), a completed absentee ballot must be received in the office of the county board of elections no later than eight o'clock P.M. on the day of the primary or election.

Credits

1937, June 3, P.L. 1333, No. 320, art. XIII, § 1306, added 1951, March 6, P.L. 3, § 11. Amended 1963, Aug. 13, P.L. 707, § 22, effective Jan. 1, 1964; 1968, Dec. 11, P.L. 1183, No. 375, § 8; 1998, Feb. 13, P.L. 72, No. 18, § 16, imd. effective; 2006, Nov. 9, P.L. 1330, No. 137, § 2, imd. effective; 2019, Oct. 31, P.L. 552, No. 77, § 6, imd. effective; 2020, March 27, P.L. 41, No. 12, § 11, imd. effective.

Footnotes

25 P.S. § 3146.1.
25 P.S. § 3146.2.
25 P.S. § 3050.
25 P.S. § 3146.6, PA ST 25 P.S. § 3146.6
Current through the end of the 2023 Regular Session. Some statute sections may be more current, see credits for details.
End of Document