PROCLAMATION Constitutional Amendment--Article VII [28 Pa.B. 792] Whereas, Joint Resolution No. 2 of 1996 proposed to amend Article VII, Section 14 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, relating to absentee voting, by changing provisions and adding a clause to read as follows:
''§ 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.
(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;'' and
Whereas, Joint Resolution No. 2 of 1996 was agreed to by a majority of the members elected to each House of the General Assembly and published pursuant to Article XI, Section 1 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania; and
Whereas, in the General Assembly next afterwards chosen, the aforesaid amendment to Article VII, Section 14 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania was proposed in Joint Resolution No. 3 of 1997, which was agreed to by a majority of the members elected to each House of the General Assembly and published pursuant to Article XI, Section 1 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania; and
Whereas, the aforesaid proposed amendment to Article VII, Section 14 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania was submitted for approval to the qualified electors of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania pursuant to Article XI, Section 1 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania at an election held on November 4, 1997; and
Whereas, the Secretary of the Commonwealth, pursuant to law, has certified to me that the aforesaid proposed amendment to Article VII, Section 14 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania was approved by a majority of those voting thereon on the aforesaid day; and
Whereas, Section 903 of Title 1 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes requires the Governor, upon receiving the aforesaid certification of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, to issue his proclamation indicating whether or not the proposed amendment to Article VII, Section 14 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania has been adopted by a majority of the electors voting thereon.
Now Therefore, I, Thomas J. Ridge, Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, do hereby proclaim that the aforesaid amendment to Article VII, Section 14 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania was adopted by a majority of the electors voting thereon on November 4, 1997.
Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the Commonwealth, at the City of Harrisburg, this second day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight, and of the Commonwealth the two hundred and twenty-second.
Governor[Pa.B. Doc. No. 98-243. Filed for public inspection February 13, 1998, 9:00 a.m.]
