Delaware General Assembly

AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 13, TITLE 15, DELAWARE CODE, RELATING TO REGISTRATION RECORDS AND SUPPLIES.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Delaware:

(a) There shall be an original and duplicate permanent registration record, and an Application for Registration or Transfer for each voter, which shall be one and the same form. The application for Registration or Transfer, and the original and duplicate permanent registration record shall contain a registration serial number, which shall be different for each voter, but the same for the two records of each voter. The two records shall be prepared in different and distinctive colors, and shall be uniform throughout the State.

The original permanent registration records of all voters shall consist of loose-leaf forms which shall be properly indexed alphabetically by election district and housed in visible type loose-leaf binders with locking devices. The binder or binders for each election district shall be known as the Election District Record. The Election District Record for each election district shall at all times, between elections, remain in the office of the Department.

The duplicate permanent registration records of all voters in each County shall be filed by name and properly indexed and housed in visible type files with protected edges in locked, fire-protected cabinets and shall be known as the County Master Record. The County Master Record shall at all times remain in the office of the Department, and shall not be removed for any reason whatsoever, except as provided by law.

The application for Registration or Transfer, and the original and duplicate permanent registration records shall be identical in substance, printing, and arrangement, except that the space for the applicant's signature or mark shall be preceded by the words "The foregoing statements are true" on the Application for Registration or Transfer, and by the words "Signature for Identification Only", on the original and duplicate registration record. On all applications and registration records, the space for the applicant's signature or mark shall be followed by space for the signature of two registration officers, each of a different party affiliation. In addition, space will be provided for recording the following data:

(1) The registration serial number, and the permanent registration significant number.

(2) The applicant's surname, given names and initials of other names.

(4) The place of his residence, including street and number and development, if any, and also including post office designation of the address at which the applicant claims to reside.

(5) The Election District, Representative District, Ward (if applicable), and County in which such residence address is located.

(6) The length of the applicant's residence (a) in this State; (b) in the County; and (c) in the election district, calculated to the time of the next election for which the registration will be effective.

(7) Whether the applicant previously voted at a general election in this State within the last four years, and, if so, the name under which and address at which he then resided.

(8) The State or county where the applicant was born, and, if naturalized, the date of naturalization and before what Court.

(9) Identification of the applicant, including birth date, sex, height, color of hair, and color of eyes.

(10) The voting record of each voter for a period of not less than 20 years.

(11) The party affiliation of the applicant, or if the applicant declines to state his party affiliation, for entering the word "decline".

(12) Transfers from one election district to another, and changes of address.

(b) There shall be one or more visible, prong, loose-leaf binders, with locking devices for the purpose of housing each Election District Record. Each binder shall be conspicously labeled to indicate the Election District, Representative District, Ward (if applicable), and County, and shall have adequate index leaves for reference purposes. The key for each binder shall be in the custody of the Department, and in no event shall any key be removed from the office of the Department.

(c) There shall be one or more carrying cases for each binder, a lock and key for each carrying case, and a sufficient supply of seals for each carrying case. Each carrying case shall be appropriately labeled to indicate the same contents as the binder which it houses.

(d) There shall be a Voters' Registration List for each Election District to be completed by registration officers as prescribed in this Title.