Val Longhurst
- Democratic
Primary
This Act provides for voting by mail for the 2020 primary and general elections and special elections held under the provisions of Chapter 73 of Title 15 due to the emergency caused by COVID-19, a highly contagious virus. Voting by mail is an alternative to, and not a replacement for, in-person voting, which remains an available option to those electors not voting by absentee or mail ballot. This Act establishes procedures for voting by mail which mirror the procedures for absentee voting. The Act makes clear that, like in absentee voting, no ballots can be tabulated until Election Day. The authority to implement voting by mail stems from the Delaware Constitution. Article XVII of the Delaware Constitution mandates that in order to insure continuity of State and local governmental operations in periods of an emergency resulting from disease, the General Assembly shall have the power and immediate duty to adopt measures that may be necessary and proper for insuring the continuity of governmental operations including nonconformity with the requirements of the Constitution when in the judgment of the General Assembly to do so would be impracticable. With this Act, the General Assembly finds that due to the highly contagious nature of COVID-19, and the need to protect Delaware voters and polling workers from the virus, voting by mail is necessary and proper for insuring the continuity of governmental operations, and conformity with the constraints of Article V, ยง 4A would be impracticable.
Signed by Governor
Amendment SA 1 to HB 346 - Defeated By Senate. Votes: 8 YES 13 NO
Amendment SA 2 to HB 346 - Defeated By Senate. Votes: 8 YES 13 NO
Suspension of Rules in Senate
Passed By Senate. Votes: 18 YES 3 NO
Amendment SA 3 to HB 346 - Defeated By Senate. Votes: 8 YES 13 NO
Amendment SA 3 to HB 346 - Introduced and Placed With Bill
Amendment SA 1 to HB 346 - Introduced and Placed With Bill
Amendment SA 2 to HB 346 - Introduced and Placed With Bill
Passed By House. Votes: 25 YES 13 NO 2 NOT VOTING 1 ABSENT
Amendment HA 1 to HB 346 - Defeated By House. Votes: 14 YES 27 NO
Amendment HA 2 to HB 346 - Defeated By House. Votes: 15 YES 25 NO 1 ABSENT
Amendment HA 3 to HB 346 - Defeated By House. Votes: 16 YES 25 NO
Amendment HA 5 to HB 346 - Passed By House. Votes: 40 YES 1 ABSENT
Suspension of Rules in House
Amendment HA 4 to HB 346 - Introduced and Placed With Bill
Amendment HA 3 to HB 346 - Introduced and Placed With Bill
Amendment HA 2 to HB 346 - Introduced and Placed With Bill
Amendment HA 1 to HB 346 - Introduced and Placed With Bill
Introduced and Assigned to Administration Committee in House
| Bill Text Versions | Format |
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| Bill Text | PDF HTML |
| HA 5 to HB 346 | HTML PDF |
| Document | Format |
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| Fiscal Note |
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