HB 534 — 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, providing for absentee ballots for electors who are blind, visually impaired or disabled.

PRINTER'S NO.   527

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 534
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY MARKOSEK, FREEMAN, BURGOS, SAMUELSON, PIELLI,
        GIRAL, SANCHEZ, GUENST, VENKAT, RAPP, OTTEN, HILL-EVANS,
        HOWARD, KHAN, CIRESI, HOHENSTEIN, GALLAGHER, DALEY,
        SHUSTERMAN, GREEN, MADDEN, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, MAYES, BOROWSKI,
        WARREN AND WAXMAN, FEBRUARY 10, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 10, 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 voting by qualified absentee electors,
12      providing for absentee ballots for electors who are blind,
13      visually impaired or disabled.
14      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
15   hereby enacts as follows:
16      Section 1.    The act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known
17   as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is amended by adding a
18   section to read:
19      Section 1303.1.    Absentee Ballots for Electors Who are Blind,
20   Visually Impaired or Disabled.--(a)     An elector who is blind,
21   visually impaired or disabled may request a special absentee
22   ballot available in braille.
 1      (b)     A request for a special absentee ballot under subsection
 2   (a) shall be made in writing to the county board of elections
 3   where the elector is registered at least forty-five (45) days
 4   prior to the election for which the elector is requesting the
 5   special absentee ballot. The request shall be valid for all
 6   elections held during the calendar year in which the request was
 7   received and in which the applicant is eligible to vote. An
 8   applicant shall file the appropriate absentee ballot application
 9   as required under section 1302 for each election in which they
10   apply for a special absentee ballot.
11      (c)     The Department of State shall prepare and provide the
12   appropriate form to request a special absentee ballot, which
13   shall be available at county boards of elections and upon
14   request from the Department of State. An applicant may also
15   choose to submit a request in writing without using the form
16   provided if the communication contains all of the following
17   information:
18      (1)     The name and registered address of the qualified
19   elector.
20      (2)     A daytime telephone number.
21      (3)     The elector's political party affiliation, if the
22   request for a special absentee ballot is also for a primary
23   election.
24      (4)     An indication that the elector requests a braille
25   absentee ballot.
26      (d)     All requests received by county boards of elections
27   shall be processed and forwarded to the Department of State
28   within twenty-four hours of receipt. A county board shall
29   maintain a list of all individuals requesting special absentee
30   ballots and shall forward a copy of the list to the Department

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 1   of State at least eighteen (18) days before the date of an
 2   election.
 3      (e)     The Department of State shall be responsible for the
 4   preparation and distribution of special absentee ballots. When
 5   possible, the Department of State shall prepare the special
 6   absentee ballot so that the voted ballot can be read by the
 7   tabulation equipment rather than being manually reproduced by
 8   election officials onto a machine-readable ballot.
 9      (f)     The Department of State may promulgate rules and
10   regulations:
11      (1)     For the procedure for the manual reproduction of voted
12   ballots, when necessary, and the tabulation of special absentee
13   ballots.
14      (2)     Providing the procedure for the preparation and
15   distribution of special absentee ballots.
16      (g)     The Department of State shall prepare and publish a
17   guide describing the manner in which a special absentee ballot
18   can be voted. The guide shall be available in print, braille,
19   audio or other accessible formats.
20      (h)     The Department of State shall expand the special
21   absentee ballot service to other electors with disabilities, as
22   feasible, as determined by the Secretary of the Commonwealth,
23   and incorporate other accessible formats as technology and
24   resources allow.
25      Section 2.     This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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