(a) Form.--
(1) The secretary shall prescribe the form of an
official voter registration application. The official voter
registration application shall provide space for the
following information about the applicant:
(i) Full name.
(ii) Address of residence. If the residence is a
portion only of the house, the location or number of the
room, apartment or floor which is occupied.
(iii) Mailing address if different than address of
residence.
(iv) Name and residence address on previous
registration and the year of that registration.
(v) Designation of political party, for the purpose
of voting at a primary election.
(vi) Date of birth.
(vii) Telephone number. An application shall not
be rejected because of noncompliance with this
subparagraph.
(viii) Race. An application shall not be rejected
because of noncompliance with this subparagraph.
(2) Data required on the voter registration application
shall not be more nor less than the minimum data elements
permissible for Federal voter registration.
(3) Any person who assists in the completion of the
registration application shall sign the application and
indicate the person's address. In the case of those
registering under sections 1323 (relating to application
with driver's license application) and 1325 (relating to
government agencies), the person providing assistance shall
insert the person's initials or employee or agent
identification number on a separate or detachable portion
of the application or computer data file.
(4) A voter registration application shall be printed
on stock of good quality and shall be of suitable uniform
size. Nothing in this part shall prohibit the design and use
of an electronic voter registration application which
includes the applicant's digitized or electronic signature.
The registration application shall contain the following
information; however, the information may be provided on a
separate form for voter registration made under section 1323
or 1325:
(i) Notice that a registered elector does not need
to reregister unless the registered elector has moved.
(ii) Instructions on how to fill out and submit the
application and notification of when the application
must be submitted to a voter registration office in order
to be registered for the ensuing election.
(iii) Notice that the applicant must be a citizen
of the United States for at least one month prior to the
next election and a resident of this Commonwealth and
the election district for at least 30 days and must be
at least 18 years of age by the day of the next ensuing
election and has not been confined in a penal institution
for a conviction of a felony within the last five years.
The notice required in this subparagraph shall be in
print identical to the declaration under subsection (b).
(iv) Notice that political party enrollment is
mandatory to vote in a primary election of a political
party.
(v) Notice that the commission will mail by
nonforwardable mail to the applicant a voter's
identification card upon acceptance of the application
and that the applicant should contact the commission if
the identification card is not received within 14 days
from the date the application is sent to the registration
office.
(vi) Notice that registration is not complete until
the application is processed and accepted by the
commission.
(vii) A warning to the applicant that making a false
registration or furnishing false information is perjury.
The notice required in this subparagraph shall be in
print identical to the declaration under subsection (b).
(viii) Instructions to Federal or State employees
who wish to retain voting residence in county of last
residence to so indicate on the application.
(ix) Notice that, if an individual declines to
register to vote, the fact that the individual has
declined to register will remain confidential and will
be used only for voter registration purposes. The notice
required in this subparagraph shall be in print identical
to the declaration under subsection (b).
(x) Notice that, if an individual does register to
vote, the office at which the individual submits a voter
registration application will remain confidential and
will be used for voter registration purposes only. The
notices required in this subparagraph shall be in print
identical to the declaration in subsection (b).
(5) In jurisdictions where there is a single language
minority, the secretary may print a bilingual application.
(6) In jurisdictions where a single language minority
exceeds 5% of the population, the secretary shall:
(i) print a bilingual application; and
(ii) conduct a public educational program among
that language group alerting both organizations and
individuals of that group of the availability of the
bilingual application and encouraging individuals to
register.
(7) To implement section 1324 (relating to application
by mail), the secretary shall print an official voter
registration mail application designed to preserve the
confidentiality of the information required to be submitted.
The application shall contain information required by this
section and shall include the name of each county seat, its
post office mailing address and zip code and its telephone
number. Voter registration mail applications shall contain
information indicating whether the application is a new
registration, change of party enrollment, change of address
or change of name.
(8) Nothing in this part shall prohibit a private
organization or individual from printing blank voter
registration applications or shall prohibit the use of such
applications by any other individual, provided that the form,
content and paper quality of such voter registration
application complies with department regulations for the
forms or has received prior approval from the secretary.
(b) Registration declaration.--
(1) The official voter registration application shall
contain a registration declaration. On the declaration, the
applicant shall state all of the following:
(i) The applicant has been a citizen of the United
States for at least one month prior to the next election.
(ii) On the day of the next ensuing election, the
applicant shall be at least 18 years of age.
(iii) On the day of the next ensuing election, the
applicant shall have resided in this Commonwealth and
in the election district for at least 30 days.
(iv) The applicant has not been confined in a penal
institution for a conviction of a felony within the last
five years.
(v) The applicant is legally qualified to vote.
(2) The applicant shall affirm all of the following:
(i) The information provided in the registration
declaration is true.
(ii) The applicant understands that:
(A) the registration declaration will be
accepted for all purposes as the equivalent of an
affidavit; and
(B) if the registration contains a material
false statement, the applicant shall be subject to
penalties for perjury.
(3) The registration declaration shall contain the
printed name and signature of the applicant and the date of
signing. An applicant unable to sign the voter registration
application shall make a mark before a person of the
applicant's choice other than the applicant's employer or
an agent of the applicant's union. The person shall insert
the person's name, address and telephone number. If the
person is an employee or agent of the Department of
Transportation or another agency as provided under section
1325 and is assisting the applicant in an official capacity,
the employee or agent shall insert the initials and
identification number of the employee or agent. In the case
of applicants registering under section 1323 or 1325, the
person providing assistance shall insert initials or employee
or agent identification number on a separate or detachable
portion of the application or computer data file.
(4) The official registration application shall contain
a notice entitled "PENALTY FOR FALSIFYING DECLARATION." The
notice shall advise the applicant that if a person signs an
official registration application knowing a statement
declared in the application to be false, the person commits
perjury. The notice shall specify the penalty for perjury.
(c) Distribution.--
(1) The secretary shall supply official registration
applications to commissions.
(2) The secretary shall make available for distribution
official voter registration applications to public libraries,
public schools, State-related institutions of higher
education, offices operated by the Department of Revenue,
offices operated by the Department of Aging, area agencies
on aging, offices operated by the Pennsylvania Game
Commission or any of its authorized license-issuing agents,
offices operated by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
or any of its issuing agents, and offices that provide
unemployment compensation.
(3) Each participating agency identified under paragraph
(2) shall:
(i) Provide that official voter registration mail
applications are available on the premises and displayed
prominently in a conspicuous location during normal
business hours.
(ii) Provide an official voter registration mail
application to any individual requesting one.
(iii) Provide reasonable space for nonpartisan signs
or posters indicating the availability of official voter
registration mail applications on the premises.
(4) The secretary may provide technical assistance to
commissions upon request and agencies designated under
paragraph (2).
(5) The secretary shall print and distribute mail
registration applications which are not postage paid and
which shall not be specific to any county registration
office. Along with the distribution of such applications,
the secretary shall also include instructions to inform the
applicant where the application is to be sent.
(6) The secretary and commissions shall supply
applications to all of the following:
(i) Persons and organizations who request
applications.
(ii) Federal, State and political subdivision
offices.
(iii) Political parties and political bodies.
(iv) Candidates.
(d) Staff.--Agency employees assisting in the distribution
of voter registration applications under subsection (c) shall
conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the following
principles:
(1) They shall not seek to influence an applicant's
political preference or party registration or display
political preference or party allegiance.
(2) They shall not make any statement to an applicant
or take any action the purpose of or effect of which is to
discourage the applicant from registering to vote.
(3) They shall not make any statement to an applicant
or take any action the purpose of or effect of which is to
lead the applicant to believe that a decision to register
or not to register has any bearing on the availability of
services or benefits.
Agency employees who violate this subsection shall be removed
from employment, provided that the agency at its discretion may
impose a penalty of suspension without pay for at least 30 days,
but not more than 120 days, if it finds that the violation does
not warrant termination.
Cross References. Section 1327 is referred to in section
1323 of this title.§ § 1327Preparation and distribution of applications
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