Pennsylvania HB 280: An Act amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, 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.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 223
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 280
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY SOLOMON, KENYATTA, RABB, KHAN, VENKAT, PIELLI,
PROBST, HILL-EVANS, GUENST, HADDOCK, SCHLOSSBERG, SHUSTERMAN,
WEBSTER, DEASY, CERRATO AND GREEN, JANUARY 22, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JANUARY 22, 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 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.
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The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 102 of the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333,
No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is amended by
adding a definition to read:
Section 102. Definitions.--The following words, when used in
this act, shall have the following meanings, unless otherwise
clearly apparent from the context:
* * *
(z.7) The words "unenrolled elector" shall mean a person who
is registered to vote within an election district having
selected "none" or "no affiliation" or having selected "other"
and written in a clear preference to be unaffiliated or
independent in regard to a political party on their Pennsylvania
voter registration application .
Section 2. Sections 702, 802 and 902 of the act are amended
to read:
Section 702. Qualifications of Electors at Primaries.--(a)
The qualifications of electors entitled to vote at primaries
shall be the same as the qualifications of electors entitled to
vote at elections within the election district where the primary
is held.[, provided that no elector who is not registered and
enrolled as a member of a political party, in accordance with
the provisions of this act, shall be permitted to vote the
ballot of such party or any other party ballot at any primary.]
(b) Unenrolled electors shall be permitted to vote in
primary elections for the nomination for candidates for public
office in accordance with the procedures specified in sections
902.1 , 1231, 1302 and 1302-D .
Section 802. Only Enrolled Electors to [Vote at Primaries
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or] Hold Party Offices or Vote for Party Office.--No person who
is not registered and enrolled as a member of a political party
shall be entitled to [vote at any primary of such party or to]
be elected or serve as or vote for a party officer, or a member
or officer of any party committee, or delegate or alternate
delegate to any party convention.
Section 902. Candidates to Be Nominated and Party Officers
to Be Elected at Primaries.--All candidates of political
parties, as defined in section 801 of this act, for the offices
of President of the United States, United States Senator,
Representative in Congress and for all other elective public
offices within this State, except that of presidential electors,
shall be nominated, and party delegates and alternate delegates,
committeemen and officers who, under the provisions of Article
VIII of this act or under the party rules, are required to be
elected by the party electors, shall be elected at primaries
held in accordance with the provisions of this [act, e