Bill > HB395

Introduced Session

Pursuant to longstanding United States Supreme Court precedent, it is unconstitutional to require a person to be a resident of the voting state, district, or municipality for any length of time that exceeds the time necessary to effectively register voters prior to an election. See Marston v. Lewis, 410 U.S. 679 (1973); Dunn v. Blumstein, 405 U.S. 330 (1972). In Delaware, 30 days prior to the election is the current deadline for registering to vote in statewide and national elections. 15 Del. C. 2036. This bill would prohibit any municipality from enacting or maintaining any durational residency or property ownership requirement for voting eligibility, and sets the maximum deadline for registration at 30 days prior to a municipal election. This will bring Delaware’s municipal voting laws in line with federal constitutional standards.

Committee Categories

Melanie Smith (D)*,  Paul Baumbach (D),  Margaret Henry (D),  Gregory Lavelle (R),  Sean Lynn (D),  John Mitchell (D),  Trey Paradee (D),  Karen Peterson (D),  Pete Schwartzkopf (D),  Kim Williams (D), 

Signed by Governor (on 08/10/2016)

Official Document