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Pennsylvania Statutes § 3157 Appeals to court from decisions of the county board

⤴ Up to Article XIV: Returns of Primaries and Elections

Statute Text

(a) Any person aggrieved by any order or decision of any county board regarding the computation or canvassing of the returns of any primary or election, or regarding any recount or recanvass thereof under sections 1701, 1702 and 1703 of this act, may appeal therefrom within two days after such order or decision shall have been made, whether then reduced to writing or not, to the court specified in this subsection, setting forth why he feels that an injustice has been done, and praying for such order as will give him relief. If a recount or recanvass is made undersection 1404(g) , the appeal must be made to Commonwealth Court. Unless a recount or recanvass is made undersection 1404(g), the appeal must be made to the court of common pleas of the proper county. Upon the payment to the prothonotary of a fee for filing such appeal, a judge of the court shall fix a time and place for hearing the matter in dispute within three days thereafter, of which due notice shall be served, with a copy of such appeal, by the appellant upon a member of the county board whose action is complained of and upon every attorney, watcher or candidate who opposed the contention of the appellant before the county board, and upon any other person that the judge shall direct, at least two days before the matter shall be reviewed by the court. Proof of such notice or the waiver thereof must be filed therein before any appeal is sustained.
(b) The court on an appeal shall have full power and authority to hear and determine all matters pertaining to any fraud or error committed in any election district to which such appeal relates, and to make such decree as right and justice may require. Pending such appeal, the county board shall suspend any official certification of the votes cast in such election district. None of the orders or decisions of either the county board or the court of common pleas on appeal shall be deemed a final adjudication regarding the results of any primary or election, so as to preclude any contest thereof. No appeal shall be allowed or granted from any order or decree of the court of common pleas made in pursuance of this section. The court of common pleas, upon any appeal under this section, may compel the appellant or any opposing party, other than the county board, to pay all the witness fees, if any, or other legal costs of the hearing, which costs may be taxed by the prothonotary in the usual manner.

History

1937, June 3, P.L. 1333, art. XIV, § 1407. Affected 1978, April 28, P.L. 202, No. 53, § 2(a) [1193], effective 6/27/1978 . Amended 2004, Oct. 8, P.L. 807, No. 97, § 10, imd. effective.

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