HB 1158 — An Act amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, in preliminary provisions, providing for designation of Election Day as legal holiday; and, in election districts and polling places, further providing for public buildings to be used where possible and portable polling places.

PRINTER'S NO.   1285

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1158
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY FINK, HAMM, KAUFFMAN, BERNSTINE, GLEIM, STAATS AND
        ANDERSON, APRIL 7, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 7, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled
 2      "An act concerning elections, including general, municipal,
 3      special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates,
 4      primary and election expenses and election contests; creating
 5      and defining membership of county boards of elections;
 6      imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth,
 7      courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners;
 8      imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying,
 9      revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and
10      repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to
11      elections," in preliminary provisions, providing for
12      designation of Election Day as legal holiday; and, in
13      election districts and polling places, further providing for
14      public buildings to be used where possible and portable
15      polling places.
16      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
17   hereby enacts as follows:
18      Section 1.    The act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known
19   as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is amended by adding a
20   section to read:
21      Section 108.    Designation of Election Day as Legal Holiday.--
22   The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, known as
23   Election Day, is designated a legal holiday in this
24   Commonwealth.
 1      Section 2.   Section 527(a) of the act is amended to read:
 2      Section 527.   Public Buildings to Be Used Where Possible;
 3   Portable Polling Places.--(a)    In selecting polling places, the
 4   county board of elections shall, wherever possible and
 5   practicable, select schoolhouses, municipal buildings or rooms,
 6   or other public buildings for that purpose. Any board of public
 7   education or school directors, or county or the municipal
 8   authorities shall[, upon request of the county board,] make
 9   arrangements for the use of school property, or of county or
10   municipal property for polling places. In selecting polling
11   places, the county board of elections shall make every effort to
12   select polling places that provide all electors with an
13   environment that is free from intimidation and violence.
14      In the event no available public building as contemplated
15   under this section is situated within the boundaries of any
16   election district, the county board of elections may, not less
17   than twenty days prior to any election, designate as the polling
18   place for such election district any such public building
19   situated in another election district within the same or
20   immediately adjacent ward, or, if there are no wards, then
21   within the same borough or township as the case may be, provided
22   such other building is located in an election district which is
23   immediately adjacent to the boundary of the election district
24   for which it is to be the polling place and is directly
25   accessible therefrom by public street or thoroughfare. Two or
26   more polling places may be located in the same public building
27   under this section. A polling place may be selected and
28   designated hereunder less than twenty days prior to any
29   election, with the approval of a court of competent
30   jurisdiction.

20250HB1158PN1285                    - 2 -
1     * * *
2     Section 3.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




20250HB1158PN1285                 - 3 -