25 Pa. Stat. § 3048

Current through Pa Acts 2024-53, 2024-56 through 2024-111
Section 3048 - Meeting of election officers on day of election; duties of election officers
(a) The judges, inspectors, clerks of election and machine inspectors, together with the overseers, if any, shall meet in the respective places appointed for holding the election in each election district at least thirty minutes before the hour for opening the polls on the day of each primary and election. They shall thereupon, in the presence of each other, take and subscribe in duplicate to the oaths required by this act.
(b) If any judge of election shall not appear at the polling place by seven (7) o'clock A.M., on the day of any primary or election, the majority inspector shall appoint a judge of election, who is qualified under the provisions of this act. If any majority inspector of election shall not appear at said hour, the judge of election shall appoint a majority inspector, who is qualified under the provisions of this act. If any minority inspector of election shall not appear at said hour, the person who received the second highest vote for judge at the preceding election shall serve as minority inspector, if available, and if qualified under the provisions of this act. If such person is not available or not qualified, the qualified electors of the district, present at said time, shall, under the supervision of the judge of election, elect one of their number who is duly qualified, to fill said vacancy. If, for any reason, any vacancy in an election board shall not have been filled, as aforesaid, by 7:30 A.M., the qualified electors of the district, present at said time, shall elect a qualified person or persons to fill such vacancies. If any clerk shall not appear by 7 o'clock A.M., the inspector who appointed said clerk shall fill said vacancy, appointing a qualified elector therefor. If any machine inspector shall not appear at said time, it shall be the duty of the judge of election to promptly notify the county board, who shall immediately appoint a qualified machine inspector to fill said vacancy. Any persons thus appointed or elected to fill vacancies shall take and subscribe in duplicate to the oaths required by this act, and shall hold office only for said election.
(c) After the election board has been organized, the judge of election shall designate one of the inspectors of election to have custody of the district register and to make the entries therein, required by this act. In districts in which ballots are used, the other inspector shall have charge of the receipt and deposit of ballots in the ballot box, the judge or one of the clerks shall issue the ballots to electors after they are found entitled to vote, and the other clerk shall have custody of the "Voting Check List," and shall place the voter's certificates therein as they are received and approved. In districts in which voting machines are used, the other inspector or clerk shall have custody of the "Voting Check List," and shall place the voter's certificates therein as they are received and approved, and the judge shall have special charge of the operation of the voting machine: Provided, however, That the judge of election may make other arrangements for the division of the duties imposed by this act, so long as each election officer and clerk is assigned some specific duty to perform. If more than one voting machine is used, the judge shall be assisted by the machine inspectors, each machine inspector being assigned by him to have charge of the operation of a particular machine. In all election districts, the judge shall assign two (2) members of the election board or clerks to keep two (2) numbered lists of voters during the progress of the voting.
(d) Any election officer, clerk or machine inspector may be assigned by the judge of election to assist another officer, clerk or machine inspector in the performance of his duties, or to perform them for him during his temporary absence or disability.

25 P.S.§ 3048

1937, June 3, P.L. 1333, art. XII, § 1208.