Pennsylvania HB 37: An Act amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, in voting by qualified absentee electors, further providing for canvassing of official absentee ballots and mail-in ballots; and, in Election Integrity Grant Program, further providing for funding for elections.

Bill Text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 16 PRINTER'S NO. 3191
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 37
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY CONKLIN, VENKAT, RABB, SANCHEZ, KINKEAD, PIELLI,
HANBIDGE, HILL-EVANS, CIRESI, HADDOCK, SCHLOSSBERG, FRANKEL,
KHAN, FIEDLER, HARKINS, SHUSTERMAN, FREEMAN, WARREN, FLEMING
AND GREEN, JANUARY 10, 2025
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, APRIL 14, 2026
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 voting by qualified absentee electors, further
providing for canvassing of official absentee ballots and
mail-in ballots; and, in Election Integrity Grant Program,
further providing for funding for elections.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Sections 1308(g)(1.1) and 1602-A(j)(1) of the act
of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania
Election Code, are amended to read:
Section 1308. Canvassing of Official Absentee Ballots and
Mail-in Ballots.--* * *
(g) * * *
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(1.1) The county board of elections shall meet no earlier
than [seven o'clock A.M. on] seven (7) days prior to election
day to pre-canvass all ballots received prior to the meeting. A
county board of elections shall provide at least forty-eight
hours' notice of a pre-canvass meeting by publicly posting a
notice of a pre-canvass meeting on its publicly accessible
Internet website. One authorized representative of each
candidate in an election and one representative from each
political party shall be permitted to remain in the room in
which the absentee ballots and mail-in ballots are pre-
canvassed. No person observing, attending or participating in a
pre-canvass meeting may disclose the results of any portion of
any pre-canvass meeting prior to the close of the polls.
* * *
Section 1602-A. Funding for elections.
* * *
(j) Grant agreement.--The grant agreement between the
department and the county under this section shall include the
following requirements for counties:
[(1) The county shall begin pre-canvassing [at] NO LATER
THAN 7 a.m. on election day and shall continue without
interruption FROM 7 A.M. ON ELECTION DAY until each mail-in
ballot and absentee ballot TIMELY received [by 7 a.m. on
election day is pre-canvassed.] IS PRE-CANVASSED.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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