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Bill > HB280

PA HB280

PA HB280
In preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions; in qualifications of electors, furth er providing for qualifications of electors at primaries; in party organization, further providing for only enrolled electors to vote at primaries or hold party offices; in nomination of candidates, further providing for candidates to be nominated and party officers to be elected at primaries and providing for procedure for unenrolled electors to cast primary ballots; in preparation for and conduct

summary

Introduced
01/22/2025
In Committee
01/22/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

2025-2026 Regular Session

Bill Summary

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 preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions; in qualifications of electors, further providing for qualifications of electors at primaries; in party organization, further providing for only enrolled electors to vote at primaries or hold party offices; in nomination of candidates, further providing for candidates to be nominated and party officers to be elected at primaries and providing for procedure for unenrolled electors to cast primary ballots; in preparation for and conduct of primaries and elections, further providing for manner of applying to vote, persons entitled to vote, voter's certificates, entries to be made in district register, numbered lists of voters and challenges; in voting by qualified absentee electors, further providing for applications for official absentee ballots; in voting by qualified mail-in electors, further providing for applications for official mail-in ballots; in returns of primaries and elections, further providing for computation of returns by county board, certification and issuance of certificates of election; and, in penalties, further providing for election officers refusing to permit elector to vote in proper party at primaries and repealing provisions relating to elector voting ballot of wrong party at primary.

AI Summary

This bill modifies Pennsylvania's Election Code to allow unenrolled voters (those not registered with a specific political party) to participate in primary elections. An unenrolled elector is defined as a registered voter who has selected "none," "no affiliation," or "other" on their voter registration application. Under the new provisions, unenrolled electors can now choose which party's primary ballot they want to vote in on the day of the primary, and elections officers will temporarily record them as enrolled in that party for the purpose of that specific ballot. The bill removes previous restrictions that only allowed registered party members to vote in primary elections and eliminates penalties for voters casting ballots in a party primary in which they were not originally enrolled. This change effectively opens up primary elections to more voters, giving unenrolled voters more flexibility in participating in the electoral process while maintaining the integrity of party-specific nomination procedures. The bill also makes corresponding technical amendments to various sections of the election code to accommodate these new procedures, such as updating application forms for absentee and mail-in ballots to reflect the new primary voting options for unenrolled electors.

Committee Categories

Government Affairs

Sponsors (25)

Last Action

Laid on the table (on 05/13/2025)

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