§ 503Petitions for New Election Districts; Reference to County Board of Elections; Report

Upon the petition of

twenty registered electors of any township, borough, ward or
election district, to the court of the proper county, praying
for the division or redivision of such township, borough, ward
or election district into two or more election districts, or
for the alteration of the bounds of any election district, or
for the formation of one or more election districts out of two
or more existing election districts, or parts thereof, or for
the consolidation of adjoining election districts, the said
court shall refer the said petition to the county board of
elections, which shall make a full investigation of the facts,
and shall report to the court its findings and recommendations
as to the division, redivision, alteration, formation or
consolidation of election districts prayed for. If the county
board shall find that a division, redivision, alteration,
formation or consolidation of election districts will promote
the convenience of the electors and the public interests, it
shall recommend a proper division, redivision, alteration,
formation or consolidation of election districts, which must
have clearly visible physical boundaries conforming with census
block lines from the most recently completed Federal decennial
census, and shall accompany its report with a map and a verbal
description of the boundaries, as well as a certification of
the number of electors registered in each of the resulting
election districts for the immediately preceding general or
municipal election. Such petitions may specify the boundaries
desired by the petitioners, and may be accompanied by a map
setting forth such boundaries. When petitioners request specific
boundaries, their petition shall include a certification from
the county board of elections of the electors registered in
each proposed election district for the immediately preceding
general or municipal election.
   (503 amended Dec. 9, 2002, P.L.1246, No.150)