Bill Text: DE SB94 | 2011-2012 | 146th General Assembly | Draft
Bill Title: An Act To Amend Title 15 Of The Delaware Code Relating To Voter Registration And The Change Of Party Designation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-06-14 - Defeated by Senate. Votes: Defeated 5 YES 16 NO 0 NOT VOTING 0 ABSENT 0 VACANT [SB94 Detail]
Download: Delaware-2011-SB94-Draft.html
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SPONSOR: |
Sen. Sokola |
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DELAWARE STATE SENATE 146th GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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SENATE BILL NO. 94 |
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AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 15 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO VOTER REGISTRATION AND THE CHANGE OF PARTY DESIGNATION. |
Section 1.Amend Chapter 20, Title 15 of the Delaware Code, by deleting §2049 thereof in its entirety and by substituting in lieu thereof the following:
"§2049. Change of party designation; procedure.
(a) A duly registered voter (hereinafter "registrant") may apply in person, by written notice, or by telephone to the department for the county in which the voter resides, or to the registration officers in the voter's election district when the officers are sitting for the purpose of registration, for application to change the voter's party designation upon the voter's registration record at any time except:
(1) During the 20 days immediately preceding a general election, through and including the general election day;
(2) During the 20 days immediately preceding the date of the primary election for the party with whom the registrant seeks affiliate, through and including the primary election day; and
(3) During the 20 days immediately preceding a presidential primary election, through and including the day of the presidential primary election.
(b) An application to change party designation shall be upon a form provided by the Commissioner and shall be signed by the registrant and returned by mail or delivered to the office of the department.An appropriately addressed envelope shall be supplied by the department for return of the executed application.Upon receipt of the executed application, the department shall cause the signature to be compared with the original registration record of such applicant, and if such signature appears to be the same, such change of affiliation shall be made on the original and duplicate records and the applicant shall be immediately notified by mail of the change so made.If the department is not satisfied as to the signature on the application, the applicant shall be notified by mail to appear at the office of the department to answer under oath such questions as may be deemed necessary.If the applicant fails to appear as notified, no such change of affiliation shall be made.If the application is made to the registration officers, they shall forward the completed application to the department at the same time as they forward other registration records at the close of registration, and the department shall cause appropriate notations thereof to be made upon the applicant's original and duplicate permanent registration records and shall notify the Commissioner who shall make appropriate changes in the records.
(c) Applications received that change a person's political party affiliation during a period in which a person may not change his or her political party affiliation in accordance with provisions of this title shall be held by the department of elections receiving the application and processed when the period to change a person's political party affiliation reopens."
Section 2.Amend §3189, Title 15 of the Delaware Code, by striking the last sentence thereof in its entirety and by substituting in lieu thereof the following:
"A duly registered voter may not apply to change the party affiliation designated on the his or her registration record during the 20 days immediately preceding the date of the presidential primary election, through and including the day of the presidential primary election."
SYNOPSIS
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This Act moves the dates during which a registered voter may change his or her party designation so that it matches the dates during which a newly registered voter may select a party designation.In real terms this means that, pursuant to this Act, no person may change his or her party designation during: (1) the 20 days immediately preceding a general election (up to an including the general election day); (2) the 20 days immediately preceding the date of the primary election for the party with whom the voter wishes to register (up to and including the primary election day); and (3) the 20 days immediately preceding the date of the presidential primary (up to and including the presidential primary election day). |
Author: Senator Sokola
