CHAPTER 392
FORMERLY
SENATE BILL NO. 563
AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 20, TITLE 15 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO VOTER REGISTRATION.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Delaware:
Section 1. Amend Capter 20, Title 15 of the Delaware Code by striking the title of said Chapter in its entirety and substituting in lieu thereof a new title, to read as follows:
"CHAPTER 20. CENTRAL AND MOBILE REGISTRATION, REGISTRATION BY MAIL"
Section 2. Amend Chapter 20, Title 15 of the Delaware Code by striking Subchapter III of said Chapter in its entirety and substituting in lieu thereof a new Subchapter III, to read as follows:
"SUBCHAPTER III. REGISTRATION BY MAIL
§2012. Procedure for Registration by Mail.
(a) Every qualified elector who is a resident of this State and who is not already registered may, in addition to other methods of registration, apply to the Department of Elections for the county in which he resides by mail, telephone or in person, for registration forms. Wittlin three days, the Department shall mail the required forms and a set of instructions to the applicant. The completed application shall be returned to the Department of Elections no later than October 1 of an election year and no returned registration forms shall be accepted by mail if postmarked later than that date.
(b) If a person makes application for registration by mail for someone other than himself, he shall give the name and address of such person and shall sign an appropriate form declaring he is requesting such registration forms be mailed to the applicant.
(c) The Department shall perform the same duties in regard to these registration forms as it is requred to do with other applications for voter registration. Two Department employees, of opposite political parties, shall examine, approve and sign each form.
§2013. Duties of Department Following Receipt of Mail Registration Forms.
(a) Upon receipt, all mail registration forms shall be date-stamped by the Department.
(b) A verification inquiry shall be conducted in the following instances:
(1) where the applicant has neglected to sign the form;
(2) information given on the form is incomplete;
(3) information appears unclear or inconsistent;
(4) application appears to be a duplicate.
(c) If the information on the mail registration form appears to be a transfer of address, change of name by marriage or otherwise, or party affiliation change, the change shall be made by the Department and the applicant shall be notified such change was made.
§2014. Notification of Registration.
by-mail form and upon the completion of any necessary inquiry and verification process, each applicant determined to be qualified to vote shall be mailed a voter nofitication form by non-forwardable first class mail.
If the notification form is returned as undelivered, a second mailing shall be attempted.
Registration shall not be considered valid until the voter notification form is deemed to have been received by the applicant by mail. If the notification form is not returned as undelivered within five days of the day of mailing by the Department it shall be deemed to have been received by the applicant and the Department shall proceed to process the application in the method provided elsewhere in this Title.
The form may include the name, address of the voter, date of registration, party affiliation, and the election and representative districts in which his (or her) residence is located.
(b) The registration records of persons registering by mail, after completion, shall become a part of the present permanent registration system.
§2015. Rejection of Mail Registration.
Each applicant for registration-by-mail whose application is rejected shall be promptly notified in writing of such rejection and of the specific reason or reasons for such rejection."