DELAWARE - Delaware lawmakers ended their legislative session early Wednesday morning, but several election-related bills did not make it through both chambers.
House Bill 65 would have moved Delaware’s primary elections to the fourth Tuesday in April. In presidential election years, that date is the date of Delaware’s presidential primary. The bill also would have adjusted related deadlines for candidate filings, filing fees and background checks, and would have applied to primary elections after Dec. 31, 2026.
The bill was assigned to the Senate Executive Committee and did not receive final approval.
House Bill 188 would have allowed Delaware voters who are not affiliated with a political party to vote in a party primary. Under the bill, unaffiliated voters could choose which party primary to vote in, but registered Democrats and Republicans would still not be allowed to cross over and vote in another party’s primary.
An amendment to the bill clarified that unaffiliated voters could also request absentee ballots for primary elections. The amendment also added an effective date of Jan. 1, 2028. The bill passed the House on June 30 but did not receive final approval from the Senate before session ended.
House Bill 183 would have changed how Delaware fills vacant House and Senate seats. The bill would have added special primary elections when needed, giving voters a chance to decide nominees in contested party races.
The substitute version says there would be one writ of election that includes the dates for both the special primary election and the special general election. Under the proposal, the special primary would be held 35 to 40 days after the writ, and the special general election would be held 35 to 40 days after the special primary.
The bill also changes the process in general election years to avoid holding special elections too close to regular primary or general elections, or holding multiple elections for the same office within a few months.
Because these bills did not pass both chambers before the end of session, they are not headed to the governor’s desk.
