Pennsylvania HB 978: An Act amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, in district election officers, further providing for election officers to be sworn; in dates of elections and primaries and special elections, further providing for affidavits of candidates; in nomination of candidates, further providing for petition may consist of several sheets and statement of circulator, for affidavits of candidates, for examination of nomination petitions, certificates and papers and return of rejected nomination petitions, certificates and papers, for vacancy in party nomination by failure to pay filing fee or for failure to file loyalty oath, for affidavits of candidates, for filling of certain vacancies in public office by means of nomination certificates and nomination papers and for substituted nominations to fill certain vacancies for a November election; in ballots, further providing for form of ballots and printing ballots; in returns of primaries and elections, further providing for manner of computing irregular ballots; and replacing references to "justice of the peace" with "magisterial district judge."

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 1061
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 978
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY GAYDOS, PICKETT, KAUFFMAN, KUZMA, KRUPA, GROVE,
ZIMMERMAN AND ROWE, MARCH 19, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 19, 2025
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 district election officers, further providing
for election officers to be sworn; in dates of elections and
primaries and special elections, further providing for
affidavits of candidates; in nomination of candidates,
further providing for petition may consist of several sheets
and statement of circulator, for affidavits of candidates,
for examination of nomination petitions, certificates and
papers and return of rejected nomination petitions,
certificates and papers, for vacancy in party nomination by
failure to pay filing fee or for failure to file loyalty
oath, for affidavits of candidates, for filling of certain
vacancies in public office by means of nomination
certificates and nomination papers and for substituted
nominations to fill certain vacancies for a November
election; in ballots, further providing for form of ballots
and printing ballots; in returns of primaries and elections,
further providing for manner of computing irregular ballots;
and replacing references to "justice of the peace" with
"magisterial district judge."
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
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Section 1. Sections 406, 630.1, 909, 910, 976, 978.1, 981.1,
993(a) and (b), 998(a) and (b), 1004 and 1405 of the act of June
3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election
Code, are amended to read:
Section 406. Election Officers to Be Sworn.--All judges,
inspectors, clerks of election and machine inspectors shall,
before entering upon their duties at any primary or election, be
duly sworn in the presence of each other and of the watchers and
overseers, if any. The judge shall first be sworn by the
minority inspector or by a magistrate, alderman or [justice of
the peace] magisterial district judge, and the inspectors,
clerks and machine inspectors shall then be sworn by the judge.
Each of them shall forthwith sign in duplicate the oath taken by
him upon forms to be furnished by the county board, and the same
shall be attested by the officer who administered the oath.
Section 630.1. Affidavits of Candidates.--Each candidate for
any State, county, city, borough, incorporated town, township,
school district or poor district office, or for the office of
United States Senator or Representative in Congress, selected as
provided in section 630 of this act, shall file with the
nomination certificate an affidavit stating--(a) his residence,
with street and number, if any, and his post-office address; (b)
his election district, giving city, borough, town or township;
(c) the name of the office for which he consents to be a
candidate; (d) that he is eligible for such office; (e) that he
will not knowingly violate any provision of this act, or of any
law regulating and limiting election expenses and prohibiting
corrupt practices in connection therewith; (f) unless he is a
candidate for judge of a court of common pleas, the Philadelphia
Municipal Court [or for the office of school board in a district
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where that office is elective] or for the office of [justice of
the peace] magisterial district judge, that he is not a
candidate for the same office of any party or political body
other than the one designated in such certificate; (g) that he
is aware of the provisions of section 1626 of this act requiring
election and post-election reporting of campaign contributions
and expenditures; and (h) that he is not a candidate for an
office which he already holds, the term of which is not set to
expire in the same year as the office subject to the affidavit.
Section 909. Petition May Consist of Several Sheets;
Statement of Circulator.--Said nomination petition may be on one
or more sheets, and different sheets must be used for signers
resident in different counties. If more than one sheet is used,
they shall be bound together when offered for filing if they are
intended to constitute one petition, and each sheet shall be
numbered consecutively beginning with number one, at the fo