Pennsylvania Eliminate Separate Ballot Requirement for Judicial Retention Elections Amendment (2022)
| Pennsylvania Eliminate Separate Ballot Requirement for Judicial Retention Elections Amendment | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 8, 2022 | |
| Topic Elections and campaigns | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
The Pennsylvania Eliminate Separate Ballot Requirement for Judicial Retention Elections Amendment was not on the ballot in Pennsylvania as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment in 2022.
The ballot measure would have amended the Pennsylvania Constitution to eliminate the requirement that judicial retention elections appear on a separate ballot (or in a separate column on voting machines) from other elections.[1]
Text of measure
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article V, Pennsylvania Constitution
The measure would have amended Section 15(b) of Article V of the Pennsylvania Constitution. The following struck-through text would have been deleted:[2]
Note: Hover over the text and scroll to see the full text.
(b) A justice or judge elected under section thirteen (a), appointed under section thirteen (d) or retained under this section fifteen (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 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 of judge, to be filled by election under section thirteen (a) or by appointment under section thirteen (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 thirteen (b) or under section thirteen (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.[3]
Path to the ballot
Amending the Pennsylvania Constitution
- See also: Amending the Pennsylvania Constitution
In Pennsylvania, a majority vote is required in two successive sessions of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot.
2019-2020 legislative session
The constitutional amendment was introduced into the Pennsylvania General Assembly as Senate Bill 413 (SB 413) during the 2019-2020 legislative session. SB 413 included two ballot measures to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution—the Eliminate Separate Ballot Requirement for Judicial Retention Elections Amendment and the No-Excuse Absentee Voting Amendment.[4]
On April 21, 2020, the state House of Representatives voted 202-0 to pass SB 413. On April 28, 2020, the state Senate voted 49-1 to pass SB 413.[4]
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2021-2022 legislative session
The Pennsylvania General Assembly needed to approve the constitutional amendment again during the 2021-2022 legislative session to place the ballot measure before voters. The constitutional amendment was not passed during the legislative session for the 2022 general election.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Pennsylvania General Assembly, "Senate Bill 413," accessed April 30, 2020
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedtext - ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Pennsylvania General Assembly, "SB 413 Overview," accessed April 30, 2020
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