Bill > HB159

This bill amends the Pennsylvania Election Code to further provide for the canvassing (processing) of official absentee and mail-in ballots. The key provisions are: 1) The county boards of elections in different classes of counties (e.g., first class, second class, etc.) are permitted to begin pre-canvassing (reviewing and preparing for counting) these ballots at different times prior to election day, ranging from 14 days before the election for the largest counties to 3 days before for the smallest counties. 2) The county boards must provide at least 48 hours' public notice of these pre-canvass meetings, and one authorized representative from each candidate and political party is allowed to observe the process. 3) Participants in the pre-canvass meetings are prohibited from disclosing the results of any portion of the meeting prior to the close of the polls on election day. The overall intent of the bill is to provide more time for the counties to process absentee and mail-in ballots before election day, while also maintaining transparency and security around the process.