House Bill No.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details about voter turnout or cost implications, which were speculative in the candidate explanation.

Changing State Primary Election Dates

This bill changes the state primary election to align with Delaware's presidential primary date, providing flexibility if that date changes.

What This Bill Does

• Moves the state primary election to match the day of the presidential primary in years when a presidential primary is held.
• Sets the state primary election for non-presidential primary years on the day when the presidential primary would be held if it were a presidential primary year.
• Changes specific dates in the Elections Code to align with the new rules about matching the presidential primary date.

Who It Names or Affects

• Voters who participate in state primary elections
• Political parties that hold primaries in Delaware

Terms To Know

Primary election

An election where voters choose candidates for a political party to run in the general election.

Presidential primary

A primary election specifically for choosing presidential nominees of each political party.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if there are changes to Delaware's presidential primary date.
• It is unclear how this change will affect voter turnout or participation in state primaries.
• There is no information on the costs associated with changing election dates.

Official Summary Text

House Bill No. 65 moves the date of the primary for state elections to the fourth Tuesday in April, with the intent of matching the day of the presidential primary in years when a presidential primary is held. This Senate Amendment would change the Elections Code so that the state primary election is tethered directly to the date of the presidential primary in Delaware, rather than a date certain. This allows flexibility in the event the date of the presidential primary is shifted at some point in the future. The other dates in the bill are shifted in corresponding fashion.

Current Bill Text

Legislation Document

SPONSOR:

Sen. Poore

DELAWARE STATE SENATE

153rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1

TO

HOUSE BILL NO. 65

AMEND House Bill No. 65 on lines 5 through 6 by deleting “

fourth Tuesday in February

” as it appears therein and inserting in lieu thereof “

60 days prior to the date of the primary election

”.

FURTHER AMEND House Bill No. 65 on line 8 by deleting “

fourth Tuesday in February

” as it appears therein and inserting in lieu thereof “

60 days prior to the date of the primary election

”.

FURTHER AMEND House Bill No. 65 by deleting lines 11 and 12 in their entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

“(3)

Primary

In the year of a presidential primary, primary

elections for all political parties shall be conducted on the

second Tuesday after the first Monday in September.

same day as the presidential primary. In a year with no presidential primary, primary elections for all political parties will be held on the day when the presidential primary would be held if the year was a presidential primary year.

”.

FURTHER AMEND House Bill No. 65 on line 19 by deleting “

February 1

” as it appears therein and inserting in lieu thereof “

60 days before the date of the primary election

”.

FURTHER AMEND House Bill No. 65 on line 28 by deleting “

March 15

” as it appears therein and inserting in lieu thereof “

45 days prior to the date of the primary election

”.

SYNOPSIS

House Bill No. 65 moves the date of the primary for state elections to the fourth Tuesday in April, with the intent of matching the day of the presidential primary in years when a presidential primary is held. This Senate Amendment would change the Elections Code so that the state primary election is tethered directly to the date of the presidential primary in Delaware, rather than a date certain. This allows flexibility in the event the date of the presidential primary is shifted at some point in the future. The other dates in the bill are shifted in corresponding fashion.

Author: Senator Poore