SPONSOR:

Rep. Viola & Sen. Walsh & Rep. Dorsey Walker

Reps. Baumbach, Bentz, Bolden, Bush, Chukwuocha, Cooke, Griffith, Heffernan, Kowalko, Longhurst, Lynn, Mitchell, Osienski, Schwartzkopf, Seigfried, K. Williams; Sens. Paradee, Sokola, Townsend

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

150th GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 39

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 15 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ELECTIONS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend Subchapter V of Chapter 20, Title 15 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows and by redesignating accordingly:

§ 2036. Deadline to register to vote: primary and general elections.

The last date to register to vote for any presidential primary, primary , special and general election shall be the fourth Saturday prior to the date of the election day of that election. A person may register to vote at his or her polling place from 7 am to 8 pm by submitting with that person's application, a copy of a current and valid government issued photo identification or an original or legible copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document displaying the name and address of the person registering to vote. The term “current” as used in this section to forms of identification other than those that are government issued shall mean the documents must be dated within 60 days prior to the registration date.

(1) Mail applications postmarked received on or before the deadline shall be considered to be on-time and shall be immediately processed by the departments of elections; and

(2) Applications taken by agencies in accordance with subchapter VII of this chapter and received by the Department on or before the deadline shall be considered on-time and shall be processed by the Department immediately upon receipt.

§ 2037. Deadline to register to vote: special elections.

The last day to register to vote for any special election shall be 10 days prior to the date of the special election.

§ 2037. Registration applications received after a the deadline.

Registration applications received after a the deadline and on or before the date of a primary or general election shall be held and processed following that election.

§ 2038. Registration applications that update a registrant's record.

Notwithstanding any other provision in this title, the Department may process registration applications that change a registrant's address or name until the day prior to a primary or general of any presidential primary, primary, special, or general election.

Section 2. This Bill shall take effect on January 1, 2019.

SYNOPSIS

This bill provides for election day registration for presidential primary, primary, special, and general elections whereas currently the deadline is the fourth Saturday prior to the date of the election. Moreover, same day registration at polling places will be permitted with submission of valid government issued identification or other generally accepted proof of identification.