PRINTER'S NO. 1736
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 1257
Session of
2024
INTRODUCED BY STREET, FONTANA, HUGHES, SCHWANK, CAPPELLETTI AND
KEARNEY, JUNE 12, 2024
REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, JUNE 12, 2024
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 25 (Elections) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2 Statutes, in voter registration, further providing for
3 qualifications to register, for government agencies and for
4 preparation and distribution of applications; and, in voting
5 procedures, further providing for application for absentee
6 ballots.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Sections 1301(a), 1325(b)(4) and 1327(a)(4)(iii)
10 of Title 25 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are
11 amended to read:
12 § 1301. Qualifications to register.
13 (a) Eligibility.--An individual who will be at least 18
14 years of age on the day of the next election, who has been a
15 citizen of the United States for at least one month prior to the
16 next election and who has resided in this Commonwealth and the
17 election district where the individual offers to vote for at
18 least 30 days prior to the next ensuing election [and has not
19 been confined in a penal institution for a conviction of a
20 felony within the last five years] shall be eligible to register
 1 as provided in this chapter.
2 * * *
3 § 1325. Government agencies.
4 * * *
5 (b) Forms.--An agency designated in subsection (a) shall
6 provide a form for office visits or, if the agency provides
7 services to persons with disabilities, for home visits which
8 contains all of the following:
9 * * *
10 (4) The statement "In order to be qualified to register
11 to vote, you must be at least 18 years of age on the day of
12 the next election, you must have been a citizen of the United
13 States for at least one month prior to the next election and
14 have resided in Pennsylvania and the election district where
15 you plan to vote for at least 30 days prior to the next
16 election[, and you must not have been confined in a penal
17 institution for a conviction of a felony within the last five
18 years]."
19 * * *
20 § 1327. Preparation and distribution of applications.
21 (a) Form.--
22 * * *
23 (4) A voter registration application shall be printed on
24 stock of good quality and shall be of suitable uniform size.
25 Nothing in this part shall prohibit the design and use of an
26 electronic voter registration application which includes the
27 applicant's digitized or electronic signature. The
28 registration application shall contain the following
29 information; however, the information may be provided on a
30 separate form for voter registration made under section 1323
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 1 or 1325:
2 * * *
3 (iii) Notice that the applicant must be a citizen of
4 the United States for at least one month prior to the
5 next election and a resident of this Commonwealth and the
6 election district for at least 30 days and must be at
7 least 18 years of age by the day of the next ensuing
8 election [and has not been confined in a penal
9 institution for a conviction of a felony within the last
10 five years]. The notice required in this subparagraph
11 shall be in print identical to the declaration under
12 subsection (b).
13 * * *
14 Section 2. Section 3302(a) of Title 25 is amended by adding
15 a paragraph and the section is amended by adding a subsection to
16 read:
17 § 3302. Application for absentee ballots.
18 (a) General rule.--Notwithstanding the provisions of Part IV
19 (relating to voter registration) or the act of June 3, 1937
20 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, the
21 following persons may make application for an absentee ballot by
22 sending a letter or other signed document to the county board of
23 elections in the county in which the person's voting address is
24 located:
25 * * *
26 (5) An inmate who is confined in a correctional
27 institution and who is eligible to register to vote as
28 provided under section 1301 (relating to qualifications to
29 register).
30 * * *
20240SB1257PN1736 - 3 -
 1 (e) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
2 words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
3 subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
4 "Correctional institution." A penal institution,
5 penitentiary, State farm, reformatory, prison, jail, house of
6 correction, juvenile detention facility or other institution for
7 the incarceration or custody of persons under sentence for
8 offenses or awaiting trial or sentence for offenses.
9 "Inmate." An offender who is committed to, under sentence to
10 or confined in a correctional institution and who is eligible to
11 register to vote as provided under section 1301. The term does
12 not include an individual convicted under section 1703 (relating
13 to application) or an offense under the Pennsylvania Election
14 Code.
15 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 1736: 25-1301(a), 25-1325(b)(4), 25-1327(a)(4)(iii)