In inchoate crimes, prohibiting the possession of firearm at polling place.
Summary
HB1114 would add a new section to Pennsylvania’s Crimes Code making it an offense to knowingly possess a firearm in a polling place, including the building, surrounding real property, or parking area where an election is being held. It also separately prohibits possessing a firearm at a polling place with intent to use it in a crime, or causing a firearm to be used in a crime there. The bill defines “election,” “firearm,” “law enforcement officer,” and “polling place,” and it applies to general, municipal, special, and primary elections under the Pennsylvania Election Code.
The bill includes exceptions for law enforcement and certain government officials acting in the lawful performance of duties, as well as for concealed firearms in a vehicle by a lawful license holder who owns the firearm, and for on-duty members of the U.S. armed forces or National Guard/reserves. It also requires conspicuous notice of the firearm prohibition at each public entrance to a building containing a polling place, and bars conviction under the basic possession offenses if the notice requirement is not met. The act would take effect 60 days after enactment.
Impact
HB1114 would amend Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes by creating a new firearms-related offense tied specifically to election locations. It would add misdemeanor penalties for firearm possession at polling places, with third-degree misdemeanor treatment for simple possession and first-degree misdemeanor treatment when the firearm is possessed or used in connection with a crime. The bill would also impose a posting requirement on polling-place buildings and condition enforcement of the basic possession offense on compliance with that notice requirement, thereby affecting election administrators, property owners, voters, and firearm carriers.
Sentiment
The available record shows the bill was introduced by a large group of House Democrats and referred to the Judiciary Committee, but there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided materials. Based on the bill’s sponsorship and subject matter, it appears to be a public-safety and election-integrity measure intended to reduce the presence of firearms at polling places. Because no debate or vote history is included, there is no documented bipartisan or partisan reaction in the record provided.
Contention
The main likely points of contention are the scope of the firearm restriction at polling places and the balance between election security and gun-carry rights. Supporters would likely emphasize preventing intimidation and violence at voting sites, while opponents may object that the bill restricts lawful firearm possession in and around polling places, including parking areas, and could create enforcement issues. The notice requirement and the exception for concealed firearms in vehicles by licensed carriers may also be debated as either necessary safeguards or insufficient protections for lawful gun owners.