SB 705 — An Act amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, in voting by qualified mail-in electors, further providing for applications for official mail-in ballots.

PRINTER'S NO.   721

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 705
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY STEFANO, DUSH, J. WARD AND PENNYCUICK,
        APRIL 30, 2025

     REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 30, 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 mail-in electors, further
12      providing for applications for official mail-in ballots.
13      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
14   hereby enacts as follows:
15      Section 1.     Section 1302-D(g) of the act of June 3, 1937
16   (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is
17   amended and the section is amended by adding a subsection to
18   read:
19   Section 1302-D.    Applications for official mail-in ballots.
20      * * *
21      (a.1)   Application restriction.--Only the Department of State
22   or a county board of election of a county in which a qualified
23   elector's voting residence is located may send an application to
 1   a qualified elector for an official mail-in ballot under this
 2   article.
 3      * * *
 4      [(g)    Permanent mail-in voting list.--
 5             (1)   Any qualified registered elector may request to be
 6      placed on a permanent mail-in ballot list file at any time
 7      during the calendar year. A mail-in ballot application shall
 8      be mailed to every person otherwise eligible to receive a
 9      mail-in ballot application by the first Monday in February
10      each year or within 48 hours of receipt of the request,
11      whichever is later, so long as the person does not lose the
12      person's voting rights by failure to vote as otherwise
13      required by this act. A mail-in ballot application mailed to
14      an elector under this section, which is completed and timely
15      returned by the elector, shall serve as an application for
16      any and all primary, general or special elections to be held
17      in the remainder of that calendar year and for all special
18      elections to be held before the third Monday in February of
19      the succeeding year.
20             (2)   The Secretary of the Commonwealth may develop an
21      electronic system through which all qualified electors may
22      apply for a mail-in ballot and request permanent mail-in
23      voter status under this section, provided the system is able
24      to capture a digitized or electronic signature of the
25      applicant. A county board of elections shall treat an
26      application or request received through the electronic system
27      as if the application or request had been submitted on a
28      paper form or any other format used by the county.
29             (3)   The transfer of a qualified registered elector on a
30      permanent mail-in voting list from one county to another

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1      county shall only be permitted upon the request of the
2      qualified registered elector.]
3      Section 2.   All regulations and parts of regulations are
4   abrogated to the extent of any inconsistency with the provisions
5   of this act.
6      Section 3.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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