Current through Pa Acts 2024-53, 2024-56 through 2024-92
Section 3031.4 - Installation of electronic voting systems(a) If a majority of the qualified registered electors voting on the question in any county or municipality vote in favor of the adoption of an electronic voting system, the county board of elections of that county shall purchase, lease, or otherwise procure for each election district of such county or municipality, the components of an electronic voting system of a kind approved, as hereinafter provided, by the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and the board shall thereafter notify the Secretary of the Commonwealth, in writing, that they have done so.(b) The installation throughout the county or municipality of the electronic voting system adopted by the county board of elections may be accomplished either simultaneously in all election districts or in stages at the discretion of the county board, and the manner of implementation as among election districts shall also be at the discretion of the county board: Provided, however, That the electronic voting system adopted by the county board shall be fully implemented throughout the county or municipality within one hundred and three weeks after the approval of the adoption of an electronic voting system by the electors of the county or municipality. Upon the installation of an electronic voting system in any election district, the use therein of paper ballots and of voting machines shall be discontinued, except as otherwise provided herein.(c) If the question hereinbefore provided shall have been submitted to the qualified registered electors of the county or municipality and the majority of the electors voting thereon shall have voted favorably thereon, and if the county board of elections shall not, within one year after such vote, have executed a contract or contracts providing for the purchase, lease or other procurement of an electronic voting system for use at the general, municipal, primary or special election occurring at least one year and sixty days after such vote, then the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall forthwith in writing, notify the said county board of elections that, after the expiration of thirty days, he, under the authority of this act, will award, make and execute such contract or contracts on behalf of the said county, unless the said county board of elections shall make and execute the same prior to the expiration of that period and shall notify him, in writing, that they have done so.(d) If, upon the expiration of said thirty days, the county board of elections still shall not have made and executed a contract or contracts providing for the purchase, lease or other procurement of an electronic voting system as aforesaid, the Secretary of the Commonwealth, on behalf of the said county and upon the approval of the Attorney General as to form, shall thereupon award, make and execute a contract or contracts for the purchase, lease or other procurement of an Electronic Voting System, approved as required by this act, for each election district within such county or municipality, and the cost of such system, including the preparation and printing of specifications and all other necessary expenses incidental thereto, shall be the debt of the said county, and upon the certificate of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, it shall be the duty of the controller, if any, to allow, and of the treasurer of the county to pay, the sum out of any appropriation available therefore or out of the first unappropriated moneys that come into the treasury of the county. If the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall find it impracticable to procure an electronic voting system for installation in each election district of the county or municipality for use at the election then next ensuing, he shall provide for the installation of such a system in as many election districts of the county or municipality as shall be practicable and, as soon thereafter as practicable, shall provide for the installation of such system in the remainder of the election districts of the county or municipality.(e) Any county or municipality may, by a majority vote of its qualified registered electors cast at any general or municipal election held not earlier than one hundred and three weeks after they have voted to adopt an electronic voting system, direct the discontinuance of the use of such a system at all elections held in such county or municipality. Upon the receipt by the county board of elections of a petition signed by qualified registered electors of the county or municipality equal in number to at least ten (10) per centum of the total number of electors who voted in said county or municipality at the last preceding general or municipal election, the question for the discontinuance of the use of such an electronic voting system shall be submitted to the qualified registered electors of that county or municipality, subject to the same requirements as to the conduct of the election as is required for the submission of the question on the authorization of the use of an electronic voting system. The question as to the discontinuance of the use of an electronic voting system shall be submitted in the following form: "Shall the use of an electronic voting system be continued in the (county or municipality) of ..............?"1937, June 3, P.L. 1333, art. XI-A, § 1104-A, added 1980, July 11, P.L. 600, No. 128, § 4, imd. effective.