TITLE 15

Elections

Special, Municipal and Other Elections

CHAPTER 71. Special Election for General Assembly

§ 7101. Vacancies in General Assembly; writs of election.

Whenever there is a vacancy in either house of the General Assembly, by reason of failure to elect, ineligibility, death, resignation or otherwise, within 10 days of the creation of the vacancy a writ of election shall be issued by the presiding officer of the house in which the vacancy exists, directed to the Department or, in case of necessity, in such other manner as shall be provided by law. Whenever there is such vacancy in either house and the General Assembly is not in session, the Governor may issue a writ of election to fill such vacancy, which writ shall be executed as a writ issued by the presiding officer of either house in case of vacancy.

Code 1852, §  379;  Code 1915, §  1816;  Code 1935, §  1905;  15 Del. C. 1953, §  7101;  57 Del. Laws, c. 181, §  7777 Del. Laws, c. 389, §  179 Del. Laws, c. 275, §  97

§ 7102. Day for holding special election.

(a) Except as provided under subsection (b) of this section, the officer issuing the writ shall set the day for holding the special election for the vacancy in the General Assembly, but such day shall not be less than 30 nor more than 35 days next after the day of issuing the writ.

(b) If a vacancy occurs that would require a special election to be held after June 30 but before the date of the general election pursuant to subsection (a) of this section in the year of a general election, the officer issuing the writ shall set the time for the election to fill the vacancy at the time of the general election unless the vacancy occurs after September 1 but before the general election and the office for which there is to be a special election is not on the ballot for the aforesaid general election, in which event, the officer issuing the writ shall set the time for the special election no earlier than December 12 nor later than December 20 in the year of the general election.

(c) Notwithstanding subsection (b) of this section, if a vacancy occurs that would require a special election to be held after June 30 but before the date of the general election pursuant to subsection (a) of this section in the year of a general election, the presiding officer of the house in which the vacancy occurs may determine that a special election shall be held sooner than the date of the general election, in which event the requirements of § 7101 of this title and subsection (a) of this section shall be followed.

Code 1852, §  382;  Code 1915, §  1819;  Code 1935, §  1908;  45 Del. Laws, c. 154, §  18;  15 Del. C. 1953, §  7104;  51 Del. Laws, c. 99, §§  1, 271 Del. Laws, c. 491, §  177 Del. Laws, c. 389, §  1

§ 7103. Candidates.

(a) The county committee for each political party eligible to place candidates on the general election ballot for the most recent past general election may nominate a candidate for the special election by submitting a nomination to the Department office conducting the special election no later than 25 days before the date of the special election. If the legislative district up for election includes the area of more than 1 county, the county committees for each county shall agree on 1 candidate and the committee for the county where the candidate resides shall submit the nomination to the Department office conducting the special election.

(b) A person wishing to run as an unaffiliated candidate who is eligible to hold the office up for election must file a petition in support of that person’s own candidacy containing the signatures of at least 1% of all voters who are registered in the legislative district as of the first day of the month preceding the month during which the vacancy was created. The person must file the petition with the Department office conducting the special election no later than 25 days before the day of the special election.

(c) If a party eligible to place candidates on the ballot does not have a county committee in the county in which the special election is to be held, the party’s state committee may make the nomination.

(d) Any candidate for a vacancy in either house of the General Assembly must request a criminal history background check no earlier than 90 days before the candidate filing deadline and no less than 25 days before the special election from the State Bureau of Identification and provide proof of the request before they can be nominated as a candidate or file a petition as a candidate under subsection (a) and (b) of this section.

(1) A candidate who is nominated under subsection (a) of this section or files a petition under subsection (b) of this section will be considered a provisional candidate for election until the Commissioner has made the determination that the candidate is qualified under paragraph (d)(5) of this section.

(2) The State Bureau of Identification must provide, within 10 days of the State Bureau of Identification’s receipt of the candidate’s request, a report of the candidate’s criminal history record or a statement that the State Bureau of Identification Central Repository contains no information relating to the candidate.

(3) The information received by the Commissioner from the State Bureau of Identification under this section is not a public record as defined in Chapter 100 of Title 29.

(4) The criminal history background check must be paid for by the candidate but may be reimbursed to the candidate as an authorized campaign expenditure under this title.

(5) The Commissioner must determine a minimum of 15 days before the special election that a candidate is qualified under § 21 of Article II of the Delaware Constitution before a candidate’s name may be listed on a special election ballot.

(e) Nominating certificates shall be in writing and, in each case, shall contain the name of each person nominated, the person’s residence and the office for which the person is nominated. The chairperson for the party making such certificates shall add thereto the chairperson’s own signature and place of residence and shall acknowledge such certificate before an officer duly authorized to administer oaths, and a certificate of such acknowledgment shall be fixed to the instrument.

(f) Notwithstanding any other subsection of this section, nominations or petitions for a special election to be held on the date of the general election under the provisions of § 7102(b) of this title shall be filed no later than September 1 or 5 days following the vacancy, whichever is later, if the office is on the general election ballot, or on the date set by the Department if the election is to be held in December following the general election.

77 Del. Laws, c. 389, §  170 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  179 Del. Laws, c. 275, §  9782 Del. Laws, c. 170, § 5184 Del. Laws, c. 185, § 7

§ 7104. Notices.

The Department shall provide notice of the special election as follows:

(1) On the next day after receiving a writ of election, unless the same shall be a Sunday or state holiday, and then on the next business day following, the Department shall post a proclamation reciting the writ and appointing a day for holding a special election and the officer or officers to be chosen on the outside of the courthouse door of its county, the State’s and the department’s web site, and the state calendar; and

(2) On the fifth, third and last day prior to the special election, the Department shall publish notice of the special election in a newspaper of general circulation that covers the legislative district up for election.

Code 1852, §§  382-384;  Code 1915, §§  1819, 1821;  Code 1935, §§  1908, 1910;  45 Del. Laws, c. 154, §§  18, 20;  15 Del. C. 1953, §§  7105, 7106;  49 Del. Laws, c. 4, §  558 Del. Laws, c. 148, §  14161 Del. Laws, c. 480, §  2177 Del. Laws, c. 389, §  179 Del. Laws, c. 275, §  97

§ 7105. Election officers and polling places.

The Department, upon receiving a writ of election, shall appoint sufficient election officers to conduct the election and contract with the usual polling places for the legislative district for which the Department is conducting the special election. If a polling place is not available, the Department shall combine the election district or districts in that polling place with the election district or districts in a nearby polling place or contract with another location. The Department shall notify voters if their polling place is moved to another building.

Code 1852, §§  385, 386;  Code 1915, §  1822;  Code 1935, §  1911;  15 Del. C. 1953, §  7107;  77 Del. Laws, c. 389, §  179 Del. Laws, c. 275, §  97

§ 7106. General election laws applicable.

(a) Every special election in a representative or senatorial district shall be provided for, opened, held, conducted and closed and the result thereof ascertained and certified in the same manner, at the same places and subject to the same laws, so far as the same may be applicable, as prescribed for the general election; unless otherwise provided for in this chapter or elsewhere in this title.

(b) The Department may consolidate election districts within the same building.

Code 1852, §  387;  Code 1915, §  1823;  Code 1935, §  1912;  45 Del. Laws, c. 154, §  21;  15 Del. C. 1953, §  7109;  77 Del. Laws, c. 389, §  179 Del. Laws, c. 275, §  97

§ 7107. Board of canvass.

The Superior Court of each county in which a special election is held, as constituted under article V, § 6 of the State Constitution, shall, at 10 a.m. on the second day after such special election, convene and perform its duties, prescribed by such section, with reference to such special election, at the same place, with the same powers and in the same manner as for a general election.

Code 1852, §  388;  Code 1915, §  1824;  Code 1935, §  1913;  15 Del. C. 1953, §  7110;  77 Del. Laws, c. 389, §  1

§ 7108. Term of office of one elected to fill vacancy.

The person elected to fill a vacancy in the General Assembly shall hold office for the residue of the term.

Code 1852, §  379;  Code 1915, §  1816;  Code 1935, §  1905;  15 Del. C. 1953, §  7111;  77 Del. Laws, c. 389, §  1

§ 7109. Costs of special election.

All necessary costs and expenses incurred in carrying into effect a special election, unless otherwise provided by the laws of this State, including the compensation of election officers, shall be paid by funds transferred to the Department by the Office of Management and Budget.

27 Del. Laws, c. 65, §  24;  Code 1915, §  1815;  38 Del. Laws, c. 88, §  1;  Code 1935, §  1904;  15 Del. C. 1953, §  7112;  77 Del. Laws, c. 389, §  179 Del. Laws, c. 275, §  97

§§ 7110-7112. [Reserved].