Delaware General Assembly


CHAPTER 105

REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

REGISTRATION OFFICERS; MEETING; DUTIES; ENTRIES MADE IN BOOKS

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 56, REVISED CODE OF DELAWARE RELATING TO REGISTRATION OFFICERS; MEETING; DUTIES; ENTRIES MADE IN BOOKS: --BY THE REPEAL OF 1714. SEC. 9, AND BY SUBSTITUTING IN LIEU THEREOF A NEW SECTION TO BE KNOWN AS SECTION 1714. SEC. 9.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Delaware in General Assembly met:

Section 1. That Chapter 56, Revised Code of Delaware 1935, be and the same is hereby amended by striking out and repealing all of 1714. Sec. 9; and by substituting in lieu thereof a new section to be known as 1714. Sec. 9 as follows :

1714. Sec. 9. Registration Officers; Meeting; Duties; Entries Made in Books:--The Registrar and the Assistant Registrars in each election district in this State shall, at the times in this chapter designated for registration, meet in their respective election districts at the places which, as provided in this chapter, shall be designated for such meeting, and at such time shall do and perform the following acts, viz.:

First. At every general registration they shall record, in ink in the Registers in the column headed, "Name", the name of every person who shall personally appear before them and apply to be registered and at every supplementary registration they shall record, in ink, in the Registers in the column headed, "Name", the name of every person who shall personally appear before them and apply to be registered and whose name does not already appear as a registered voter in the Register of the next previous general registration, writing first the surname in full, then the Christian name in full and then the initial or initials of the middle name or names. The names of said applicants for registration shall be written on the Books of Registered Voters

in the alphabetical order of their surname, that is, all applicants whose surname begins with the letter "A" shall be grouped together, all those whose surname begins with the letter "33" shall be grouped together and so on, as to the first letter of each surname. No name of any other letter group shall be written on any page containing a name or names of any other letter group.

Second. They shall examine all such persons applying as aforesaid, as to their qualifications as electors, and shall immediately enter in the Register the statements and facts below set forth, and in the manner following viz.:

I. In the column headed "age" "Over 21" when the applicant is twenty-one years of age or over, at the time of his registration, or "21 on " giving the day, month and year when the applicant will reach majority, if under twenty-one at time of registration or has attained the age of twenty-one years after the first day of January 1900, or after that date has become a citizen of the United States, and is challenged on the ground that he is unable to read the Constitution of this State in the English language, or to write his name, and that this is not due to physical disability.

I. In the column headed "nativity", the State, territory or country in which the applicant was born.

. Under the column headed "residence", the place of the applicant's residence, street and number if any, or such other clear and definite designation of the place of said residence as shall enable it to be readily determined, and his post office address.

I. In the subdivision of the column headed "Term of residence" how long he has resided in the State, how long in the County and how long in the election district in which he applies to be registered.

I. In the column headed "naturalized" the word "yes" or "no" or "native" as the facts shall appear, and if naturalized, the date of naturalization and before what Court.

VI. In the column headed "registered voter" if the registration officers shall be satisfied, upon examination or otherwise, that the applicant for registration is entitled to be registered as a registered voter, they shall write his name in full as written in the first column.

VII. In the column headed "disqualified" if they are satisfied, upon examination or otherwise, that the applicant for registration is disqualified as an elector in the election district in which he shall apply to be registered, a line shall be heavily drawn in ink opposite his name in the column headed "Registered Voter" and the cause of his disqualification shall be briefly stated in the column "disqualified" opposite his name as first recorded, and a line shall be drawn across his name as first entered, but in such manner that said name shall remain legible. Provided that every applicant for registration shall be held and considered to be a qualified voter if he be a citizen of this State of the age of twenty-one years and upwards, or who will be the age of twenty-one years on or before the day of the general election next succeeding his registration, and will have resided in this State one year next before such election, and for the last three months thereof will have been a resident of the County, and for the last thirty days a resident of the election district in which he may offer to vote and in which he shall have been duly registered ; provided that no person in the military, naval or marine service of the United States shall be considered as acquiring a residence in this State, by being stationed in any garrison, barrack, or military or naval place or station within this State; and no idiot or insane person, pauper, or person convicted of a crime deemed by law a felony, or person who shall have been rendered incapable of voting by reason of violating Section 7 of Article V of the Constitution of this State for ten years next following his conviction and sentence thereunder and no person who attained the age of twenty-one years after the first day of January 1900, or after that date became a citizen of the United States, and is unable to read the Constitution of this

State in English, and write his name, except by reason of physical disability, shall be held or constituted a qualified voter.

VIII. In the column headed "Date of Application" the day of the month and year on which application for registration is made.

. In the column headed "If challenged", the word "yes" or "no".

. In the column headed "Cause of challenge" the objections and by whom made.

. In the column headed "Appeal" the word "yes" or "no".

I. In the column headed "Remarks" they may enter such facts or statements as may be deemed pertinent to the qualification or disqualification of the applicant as an elector.

Third. In making the entries hereinbefore specified the registration officers shall in every case make such entries in ink, in the columns above specified opposite the name of the applicant to whom such entries are intended to apply; if the registration officers shall be in doubt, after the primary examination of the applicant for registration, and upon such evidence as may be immediately obtainable, whether such applicant ought to be registered as a registered voter, they may postpone the determination of the matter to their next sitting or to a later sitting at the request of the applicant.

Fourth. It shall be the duty of the Registration Officers of each and every election district in this State, upon the close of each day's registration, to write in the line on the Registers, immediately below the last person registered on said day, the words "end of this day's registration and the date", and immediately under each said entry, the said registration officers shall sign their respective names with the proper designation of their office.

Approved April 2, 1943.