Source: https://govt.westlaw.com/pac/Document/NF7A30B3179B311E1A42D9E319E9A101E?transitionType=Default&contextData=%28sc.Default%29
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 16:20:36+00:00

Document:
(a) Any qualified elector defined in preceding section 1301, subsections (a) to (h),1 inclusive, may apply at any time before any primary or election for any official absentee ballot in person, on any form supplied by the Federal Government, or on any official county board of election form addressed to the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the county board of election of the county in which his voting residence is located.
(b) The application shall contain the following information: Home residence at the time of entrance into actual military service or Federal employment, length of time a citizen, length of residence in Pennsylvania, date of birth, length of time a resident of voting district, voting district if known, party choice in case of primary, name and, for a military elector, his stateside military address, FPO or APO number and serial number. Any elector other than a military elector shall in addition specify the nature of his employment, the address to which ballot is to be sent, relationship where necessary, and such other information as may be determined and prescribed by the Secretary of the Commonwealth. When such application is received by the Secretary of the Commonwealth it shall be forwarded to the proper county board of election.
(c) The application of any qualified elector, as defined in section 1301(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) and (h), for an official absentee ballot in any primary or election may not be made over the signature of any person, other than the qualified elector or an adult member of his immediate family, as required in the preceding subsection. A qualified absentee military or overseas elector, as defined by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (Public Law 99-410, 100 Stat. 924), may submit his application for an official absentee ballot by facsimile method if the original application is received prior to the election by the county election office. The absentee ballot of the qualified military or overseas elector shall not be counted unless the elector's original application is received prior to the election by the county election office. The facsimile method shall not be acceptable for the official absentee ballot.
(d) The application of any qualified elector, as defined in preceding section 1301, subsections (b) to (h), inclusive, for an official absentee ballot in any primary or election shall be signed by the applicant.
(e.1) Any qualified registered elector, including any qualified bedridden or hospitalized veteran, who is unable because of illness or physical disability to attend his polling place on the day of any primary or election or operate a voting machine and state distinctly and audibly that he is unable to do so as required by section 1218 of this act2 may, with the certification by his attending physician that he is permanently disabled, and physically unable to attend the polls or operate a voting machine and make the distinct and audible statement required by section 1218 appended to the application hereinbefore required, be placed on a permanently disabled absentee ballot list file. An absentee ballot application shall be mailed to every such person for each primary or election so long as he does not lose his voting rights by failure to vote as otherwise required by this act. Such person shall not be required to file a physician's certificate of disability with each application as required in subsection (e) of this section but such person must submit a written statement asserting continuing disability every four years in order to maintain his eligibility to vote under the provisions of this subsection. Should any such person lose his disability he shall inform the county board of elections of the county of his residence.
(e.2) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this act any qualified elector who expects to be or is absent from the municipality of his residence because his duties, occupation or business require him to be elsewhere on the day of any election or a county employe who cannot vote due to duties on election day relating to the conduct of the election or a person who will not attend a polling place because of the observance of a religious holiday may make an application for an absentee ballot by mail by sending a letter to the county board of elections in the county in which his voting residence is located. The letter shall be signed by the applicant and contain his name, place of residence and proof of identification.
(f) The county chairman of each political party or the head of each political body shall designate one representative from his respective political party or body for each public institution. The representatives so appointed shall, at the same time on a date fixed by the county board of election visit every public institution situate in the county for the purpose of obtaining the names and addresses of public institution residents who desire to receive applications for absentee ballots and to act as an election board as provided in subsection (g) of this section. The list of names and addresses thus obtained shall then be submitted by said representatives to the board which shall furnish applications individually to those appearing in the written request. If the chairman or head of a political party or body fails to appoint a representative within fifteen days from written notice from the county board of election, the county board of election shall appoint a representative from the political party or body.
(g) The county board of election shall appoint teams of three members for each public institution that shall go to the public institutions and hold the election on the first Friday prior to election day. Each member of the board shall appoint one member on every team. After the votes are cast, the teams shall collect the ballots and return them to the county board of election where they shall be placed unopened in a secure, safe and sealed container in the custody of the board until they shall be distributed to the respective absentee voters' election district as provided in section 1308 of this act3 where they shall be counted with the other absentee ballots, if any.
(i) Application for official absentee ballots shall be on forms prescribed by the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The application shall state that a voter who receives an absentee ballot pursuant to section 1301 and who, on election day, is capable of voting at the appropriate polling place must void the absentee ballot and vote in the normal manner at the appropriate voting place. Such forms shall be made freely available to the public at county board of elections, municipal buildings and at such other locations designated by the secretary. No written application or personal request shall be necessary to receive the application forms. Copies of all completed applications for official absentee ballots shall be retained by the county board of elections.
1937, June 3, P.L. 1333, art. XIII, § 1302, added 1951, March 6, P.L. 3, No. 1, § 11. Amended 1963, Aug. 13, P.L. 707, § 20, effective Jan. 1, 1964; 1968, Dec. 11, P.L. 1183, No. 375, §§ 5, 6; 1972, Dec. 6, P.L. 1405, No. 301, § 2; 1976, Dec. 2, P.L. 1221, No. 269, §§ 9, 10, imd. effective; 1980, July 12, P.L. 649, No. 134, § 5, imd. effective; 1982, May 7, P.L. 393, No. 114, § 1, effective Jan. 1, 1983; 1986, May 5, P.L. 150, No. 47, § 4, imd. effective; 1998, Feb. 13, P.L. 72, No. 18, § 15, imd. effective; 2002, Dec. 9, P.L. 1246, No. 150, § 14, imd. effective; 2012, March 14, P.L. 195, No. 18, § 4, imd. effective.
Act 2012-18, § 4 , in subsec. (e)(1) and (2), inserted “proof of identification,”; in subsec. (e.2), substituted “, place of residence and proof of identification” for “and place of residence”; and added subsec. (j).
25 P.S. § 3146.1(a) to (h).
52 U.S.C.A. § 20301 et seq.
52 U.S.C.A. § 20101 et seq.

References: § 1302
 § 11
 § 20
 § 2
 § 5
 § 1
 § 4
 § 15
 § 14
 § 4
 § 4
 § 3146
 § 20301
 § 20101