Pennsylvania Statutes § 2621 Powers and duties of the Secretary of the Commonwealth

Statute Text

The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall exercise in the manner provided by this act all powers granted to him by this act, and shall perform all the duties imposed upon him by this act, which shall include the following:

(a) To determine, in accordance with the provisions of this act, the forms of nomination petitions and papers, expense accounts and all other forms and records, the form of which he is required to determine under the provisions of this act.

(b) To examine and reexamine voting machines, and to approve or disapprove them for use in this state, in accordance with the provisions of this act. The secretary shall not approve any voting machine for any election, federal or state, in this Commonwealth, that does not comply with the requirements of section 301 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 ( Public Law 107-252 , 42 U.S.C.§ 15481 ).

(c) To certify to county boards of elections for primaries and elections the names of the candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States, presidential electors, United States senators, representatives in Congress and all State offices, including senators, representatives, and judges of all courts of record, and delegates and alternate delegates to National conventions, and members of State committees, and the form and wording of constitutional amendments or other questions to be submitted to the electors of the State at large.

(d) To receive and determine, as hereinafter provided, the sufficiency of nomination petitions, certificates and papers of candidates for President of the United States, presidential electors, United States senators, representatives in Congress and all State offices, including senators, representatives and judges of all courts of record, and delegates and alternate delegates to National Conventions and members of State committees.

(e) To receive such reports from county boards of elections as are required by this act, and to demand such additional reports on special matters as he may deem necessary.

(e.1) To receive from county boards of elections information on voting system errors or difficulties or other election data pursuant to regulation.

(f) To receive from county boards of elections the returns of primaries and elections, to canvass and compute the votes cast for candidates and upon questions as required by the provisions of this act; to proclaim the results of such primaries and elections, and to issue certificates of election to the successful candidates at such elections, except in cases where that duty is imposed by law on another officer or board.

(f.1) To develop a voluntary professional certification and poll worker training program for county election officials in consultation with county boards of elections.

(f.2) To order a county board to conduct a recount or recanvass of an election under section 1404 for a public office which appears on the ballot in every election district in this Commonwealth or for a ballot question which appears on the ballot in every election district in this Commonwealth.

(g) To perform such other duties as may be prescribed by law.

(h) To establish a system for the remedy of complaints regarding the administration of the provisions of Title III of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 ( Public Law 107-252 , 42 U.S.C.§ 15481 et seq.).

History

1937, June 3, P.L. 1333, art. II, § 201. Amended 2002, Dec. 9, P.L. 1246, No. 150, § 2; 2004, Oct. 8, P.L. 807, No. 97, § 1, imd. effective; 2009, July 14, P.L. 86, No. 20, § 1, imd. effective.

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