Archived Bill Info

"BRADY"

An act to provide for the personal registration of electors as a condition of their right to vote at elections and their enrollment as members of political parties as a further condition of their right to vote at primaries in cities of the first class of the Commonwealth by removing from office all existing registration, commissioners and their appointees in said cities and authorizing the Governor to appoint registration commissions therein defining the jurisdiction of said commissions and the powers and duties of the commissioners constituting same and of their appointees including registrars, inspectors of registration, clerks and counsel fixing their qualifications, terms of office and compensation granting them certain immunity from arrest on registration days and empowering such inspectors to arrest without warrant certain persons committing certain offences in violation of this act in their presence as well as to enter and inspect buildings given as residences of electors to interrogate the inmates thereof to copy or demand a list of the lodgers therein and to supervise the conduct of registrars regulating the registration of electors at polling places by registrars and at the offices of commissions by commissioners and the right of parties or bodies of electors to have watchers thereat and the preparation and use of street lists and other records of those registered allowing the names of persons not entitled to vote to be struck from the registers in certain cases permitting all records regarding registration to be inspected and copies by any elector under certain conditions directing how the registers shall be used at elections and primaries compelling the attendance of witnesses and payment of witness fees and providing penalties for refusal to obey subpoenas directing receivers of taxes to appoint chief clerks of commissions as deputies to collect poll taxes and to give receipts therefor authorizing such clerks to administer oaths, sign subpoenas and vouchers and to collect and disburse witness fees prescribing a method for challenging persons applying for registration and the procedure for the correction of registers and for appealing for actions of registrars to said commissions and allowing for appeals from the decisions of the commissions in certain cases to courts of common pleas imposing certain duties upon election officers and upon the mayors councils, treasurers, controllers, receivers of taxes, city solicitors, police officers, commissioners and other officials of said cities and upon the courts, judges, prothonotaries, sheriffs, commissioners, peace officers and other officials of the judicial districts and counties in which said cities are situated or with which they are co-extensive legalizing certain acts required hereby if done on any Sunday or legal holiday requiring said cities to provide for the maintenance of said commissions and the compensation of their appointees and the payment of all expenses necessary to carry out the provisions of this act and to transfer the unexpended balances of certain appropriations heretofore made for the personal registration of electors of said cities during the year one thousand nine hundred and nineteen to and for the use of the said commissions punishing and fixing penalties for violations hereof and repealing all legislation inconsistent herewith.

0688 Pink

Referred to the Committee on Elections, March 4.

Reported as committed, March 12.

Time extended two weeks, April 22.

Time extended two weeks, May 2.

Recommitted to the Committee on Elections, June 11.