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