Public Notice - PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION OF PENNSYLVANIA

This notice contains information about proposed amendments to the

Constitution of Pennsylvania, based on joint resolutions of the General

Assembly of Pennsylvania.

The General Assembly of Pennsylvania first proposed these

amendments during the 2019-2020 session of the legislature. If a

majority of the Senators and Representatives elected at the upcoming

November 3, 2020 General Election approve any of the proposed

amendments for a second time during the 2021-2022 session, the

approved proposed amendment(s) will be published again and

submitted to the voters of Pennsylvania as a ballot question(s), as

required by Article XI, Section 1 of the Constitution. If a ballot question

is approved by a majority of the people voting on it, the amendment

will become law.

This public notice is part of the process of amending the Constitution

of Pennsylvania. The Secretary of the Commonwealth is required to

publish a copy of the joint resolutions proposing the amendments.

The text of the joint resolutions is included below this notice.

Words that appear in bold print are the changes to the words of

the Constitution that are proposed by the General Assembly. If the

amendment is approved, the words underlined would be added to the

Constitution and the words in [brackets] would be deleted.

If you need help reading this advertisement or need the text of the

proposed amendments in an alternative format, call or write the

Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Elections and Notaries,

Room 210 North Office Building, Harrisburg, PA 17120, 1-877-868-3772

(option 3), ra-elections@pa.gov.

Kathy Boockvar

Secretary of the Commonwealth

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JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 2020 – 1

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth

of Pennsylvania, further providing for Lieutenant Governor.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby resolves as follows:

Section 1. The following amendment to the Constitution of

Pennsylvania is proposed in accordance with Article XI:

That section 4 of Article IV be amended to read:

§ 4. Lieutenant Governor.

[A Lieutenant Governor shall be chosen jointly with the Governor

by the casting by each voter of a single vote applicable to both

offices, for the same term, and subject to the same provisions

as the Governor; he] Each candidate for Governor, having been

nominated under the laws of this Commonwealth, shall, subject

to the approval of the political party or political body, if any,

nominating such candidate, select a candidate for Lieutenant

Governor within such time before the gubernatorial general

election as the General Assembly shall prescribe by law. A

person may not seek election to both offices simultaneously. The

Lieutenant Governor shall be President of the Senate. As such, [he]

the Lieutenant Governor may vote in case of a tie on any question

except the final passage of a bill or joint resolution, the adoption of

a conference report or the concurrence in amendments made by the

House of Representatives.

Section 2. (a) Upon the first passage by the General Assembly

of this proposed constitutional amendment, the Secretary of the

Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the

advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the Constitution

of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required advertisements

to two newspapers in every county in which such newspapers

are published in sufficient time after passage of this proposed

constitutional amendment.

(b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of

this proposed constitutional amendment, the Secretary of the

Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the

advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the Constitution

of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required advertisements to two

newspapers in every county in which such newspapers are published

in sufficient time after passage of this proposed constitutional

amendment. The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall submit this

proposed constitutional amendment to the qualified electors of this

Commonwealth at the first primary, general or municipal election

which meets the requirements of and is in conformance with section

1 of Article XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and which occurs

at least three months after the proposed constitutional amendment is

passed by the General Assembly.

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JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 2020 – 2

Proposing separate and distinct amendments to the Constitution of

the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, further providing for tenure of

justices, judges and justices of the peace; and further providing for

absentee voting.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby resolves as follows:

Section 1. The following separate and distinct amendments to the

Constitution of Pennsylvania are proposed in accordance with

Article XI:

(1) That section 15(b) of Article V be amended to read:

§ 15. Tenure of justices, judges and justices of the peace.

* * *

(b) A justice or judge elected under section 13(a), appointed

under section 13(d) or retained under this section 15(b) may file

a declaration of candidacy for retention election with the officer

of the Commonwealth who under law shall have supervision

over elections on or before the first Monday of January of the

year preceding the year in which his term of office expires. If no

declaration is filed, a vacancy shall exist upon the expiration of the

term of office of such justice or judge, to be filled by election under

section 13(a) or by appointment under section 13(d) if applicable. If

a justice or judge files a declaration, his name shall be submitted to

the electors without party designation, [on a separate judicial ballot

or in a separate column on voting machines,] at the municipal

election immediately preceding the expiration of the term of office

of the justice or judge, to determine only the question whether

he shall be retained in office. If a majority is against retention, a

vacancy shall exist upon the expiration of his term of office, to be

filled by appointment under section 13(b) or under section 13(d) if

applicable. If a majority favors retention, the justice or judge shall

serve for the regular term of office provided herein, unless sooner

removed or retired. At the expiration of each term a justice or judge

shall be eligible for retention as provided herein, subject only to the

retirement provisions of this article.

(2) That section 14 of Article VII be amended to read:

§ 14. Absentee voting.

(a) The Legislature shall, by general law, provide a manner in which,

and the time and place at which, qualified electors [who may, on

the occurrence of any election, be absent from the municipality

of their residence, because their duties, occupation or business

require them to be elsewhere or who, on the occurrence of any

election, are unable to attend at their proper polling places because

of illness or physical disability or who will not attend a polling

place because of the observance of a religious holiday or who

cannot vote because of election day duties, in the case of a county

employee,] may vote, and for the return and canvass of their votes

in the election district in which they respectively reside. A law under

this subsection may not require a qualified elector to physically

appear at a designated polling place on the day of the election.

[(b) For purposes of this section, “municipality” means a city,

borough, incorporated town, township or any similar general

purpose unit of government which may be created by the

General Assembly.]

Section 2. (a) Upon the first passage by the General Assembly of

these proposed constitutional amendments, the Secretary of the

Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the

advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the Constitution

of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required advertisements

to two newspapers in every county in which such newspapers

are published in sufficient time after passage of these proposed

constitutional amendments.

(b) Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of

these proposed constitutional amendments, the Secretary of

the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with

the advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the

Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required

advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which

such newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of

these proposed constitutional amendments. The Secretary of the

Commonwealth shall:

(1) Submit the proposed constitutional amendment under

section 1(1) of this resolution to the qualified electors of this

Commonwealth as a separate ballot question at the first primary,

general or municipal election which meets the requirements

of and is in conformance with section 1 of Article XI of the

Constitution of Pennsylvania and which occurs at least three

months after the proposed constitutional amendment is passed

by the General Assembly.

(2) Submit the proposed constitutional amendment under

section 1(2) of this resolution to the qualified electors of this

Commonwealth as a separate ballot question at the first primary,

general or municipal election which meets the requirements

of and is in conformance with section 1 of Article XI of the

Constitution of Pennsylvania and which occurs at least three

months after the proposed constitutional amendment is passed

by the General Assembly.

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PAID FOR WITH PENNSYLVANIA TAXPAYER DOLLARS. THIS ADVERTISEMENT IS FUNDED IN WHOLE BY THE GENERAL FUND.