(a) The official ballots for general, municipal and special
elections shall be in substantially the following form:
OFFICIAL BALLOT
....................... District, ........................ Ward,
City of ........................, County of ...................,
State of Pennsylvania ..........................................
Election held on the .......... day of ................, 20.....
A cross (X) or check (✓) mark in the square opposite the name
of any candidate indicates a vote for that candidate.
To vote for a person whose name is not on the ballot, write
or stamp his name in the blank space provided for that purpose.
A cross (X) or check (✓) mark in the square opposite the names
of the candidates of any party for President and Vice-President
of the United States indicates a vote for all the candidates
of that party for presidential elector. To vote for individual
candidates for presidential elector, write or stamp their names
in the blank spaces provided for that purpose under the title
"Presidential Electors." Mark ballot only in black lead pencil,
indelible pencil or blue, black or blue-black ink, in fountain
pen or ball point pen; use the same pencil or pen for all
markings you place on the ballot.
Before leaving the voting compartment, fold this ballot,
without displaying the markings thereon, in the same way it was
folded when received, then leave the compartment and exhibit
the ballot to one of the election officers who shall ascertain
by an inspection of the number appearing upon the right hand
corner of the back of the ballot whether the ballot so exhibited
to him is the same ballot which the elector received before
entering the voting compartment. If it is the same, the election
officer shall direct the elector, without unfolding the ballot,
to remove the perforated corner containing the number, and the
elector shall immediately deposit the ballot in the ballot box.
Any ballot deposited in a ballot box at any primary or election
without having the said number torn off shall be void and shall
not be counted.
Presidential Electors.
(Vote for the candidates of one party for President and Vice
President, or insert the names of candidates)
For
John Stiles and Richard Doe......................... Democratic
For
John Doe and Richard Roe............................ Republican
For
John Smith and William Jones......................... Socialist
For
........................ Citizens
United States Senator.
(Vote for one)
Richard Roe ......................................... Democratic
John Doe ............................................ Republican
Richard Stiles ....................................... Socialist
Governor.
(Vote for one)
Richard Roe ......................................... Democratic
John Doe ............................................ Republican
Richard Stiles ....................................... Socialist
Representatives in Congress,
....... District.
(Vote for one)
Richard Roe ......................................... Democratic
John Doe ............................................ Republican
Richard Stiles ....................................... Socialist
Senator in the General Assembly,
....... District.
(Vote for one)
John Doe ............................................ Democratic
Richard Roe ......................................... Republican
((a) amended Oct. 31, 2019, P.L.552, No.77)
(b) On the back of each ballot shall be printed in prominent
type the words "Official Ballot," followed by the designation
of the election district for which it is prepared, the date of
the election and the facsimile signatures of the members of the
county board of elections. The names of candidates shall be
arranged under the title of the office for which they are
candidates, and shall be printed thereunder in the order of the
votes obtained by the parties or bodies at the last
gubernatorial election, beginning with the party obtaining the
highest number of votes: Provided, however, That in the case
of parties or bodies not represented on the ballot at the last
gubernatorial election, the names of the candidates of such
parties shall be arranged alphabetically, according to the party
name or political appellation. In the case of offices for which
two or more candidates are to be voted for, the candidates of
each party shall be arranged together in the order of the number
of votes obtained by them at the primary, beginning with the
candidates obtaining the highest number of votes, and the
candidates of each political body shall be arranged in the order
in which their names were placed in their nomination paper.
Under the title of such offices where more than one candidate
is to be voted for, shall be printed "Vote for not more than
........" (the blank space to indicate the number of candidates
to be voted for the particular office.) Opposite or under the
name of each candidate shall be printed the name or appellation
of the political party or political body nominating him, and
at the right of such name or appellation there shall be a square
of sufficient size for the convenient insertion of a cross (X)
or check (✓) mark. ((b) amended Dec. 2, 1976, P.L.1221, No.269)
(c) When presidential electors are to be elected, their
names shall not be printed upon the ballot, but in lieu thereof,
the names of the candidates of their respective parties or
political bodies for President and Vice-President of the United
States shall be printed together in pairs under the title
"Presidential Electors." All ballots marked for the candidates
for President and Vice-President of a party or political body
shall be counted as votes for each candidate for presidential
elector of such party or political body.
(d) Whenever any candidate shall receive more than one
nomination for the same office, his name shall be printed once,
and the names of each political party so nominating him shall
be printed opposite the name of such candidate, arranged in the
same order as candidates names are required to be arranged. At
the right of all the party names or appellation shall be a
single square of sufficient size for the convenient insertion
of a cross (X) or check (✓) mark. ((d) amended July 16, 1968,
P.L.354, No.175)
(e) There shall be left at the end of the group of
candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States
under the title "Presidential Electors," as many blank spaces
as there are presidential electors to be elected, in which
spaces the elector may insert, by writing or stamping, the names
of any individual candidates for presidential electors for whom
he desires to vote. There shall also be left at the end of each
group of candidates for each other office (or under the title
of the office itself in case no candidates have been nominated
therefor), as many blank spaces as there are persons to be voted
for for such office, in which space the elector may insert the
name of any person or persons whose name is not printed on the
ballot as a candidate for such office. ((e) amended Oct. 31,
2019, P.L.552, No.77)
(f) In order that each elector may have the opportunity of
designating his choice for all the candidates nominated by one
political party or political body, there shall be printed on
the extreme left of the ballot, and separated from the rest of
the ballot by a space of at least one-half inch, a list of the
names of all the political parties or political bodies
represented on such ballot which have nominated candidates to
be voted for at such election. Such names shall be arranged in
the order of the votes obtained at the last gubernatorial
election by the candidate for Governor of the parties or bodies
nominating, beginning with the party that received the highest
number of votes cast. Following the names of such political
parties and political bodies shall be the names of the parties
and bodies not represented on the ballot at the last
gubernatorial election, arranged alphabetically, according to
the party name or appellation. A square of sufficient size for
the convenient insertion of a cross mark shall be placed at the
right of each party name or appellation.
(g) The official ballots shall vary in form only as the
names of districts, offices, candidates or the provisions of
this act may require. When constitutional amendments or other
questions are submitted to a vote of the electors, each
amendment or other question so submitted may be printed upon
the ballot below the groups of candidates for the various
offices, and, when required by law, shall be so printed.
Constitutional amendments so submitted shall be printed in brief
form, to be determined by the Secretary of the Commonwealth,
and other questions so submitted shall be printed in brief form,
to be determined by the Secretary of the Commonwealth in the
case of questions to be voted on by the electors of the State
at large, and by the county boards in other cases. To the right
of each question there shall be placed the words "yes" and "no,"
together with appropriate squares to the right of each for the
convenient insertion of a cross mark.
(1003 amended Apr. 24, 1947, P.L.68, No.33)§ 1003Form of Official Election Ballot
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Primary source. The text above is the canonical statute body as it appears in this revision of the atlas. Verify against the official gazette before quoting in litigation or formal advice. Spot an error? Suggest a correction.