CHAPTER 360
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 29, PART II, DELAWARE CODE, RELATING TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BY PROVIDING FOR THE COMPOSITION AND REAPPORTIONMENT THEREOF.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Delaware:
Section 1. Title 29, Part II, Delaware Code, is amended by adding at the beginning thereof a new chapter to read as follows:
CHAPTER 6. COMPOSITION OF AND REAPPORTIONMENT
OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Subchapter I. General Provisions
§ 601. Composition of the House of Representatives
The House of Representatives shall be composed of 35 members, who shall be chosen to hold office for 2 years. The State shall be divided into 35 Representative Districts, from each of which shall be chosen, by the qualified electors thereof, one representative.
§ 602. Composition of the Senate; Staggered terms
The Senate shall be composed of 18 members, who shall be chosen to hold office for 4 years. The State shall be divided into 18 Senatorial Districts, from each of which shall be chosen, by the qualified electors thereof, one Senator. The terms of office of the several Senators shall be staggered so that not more than 9 Senators shall be elected at each biennial General Election.
§ 603. Allocation of Representative Districts
(a) There shall be 8 Representative Districts in the City of Wilmington.
(b) There shall be 16 Representative Districts in New Castle County outside the City of Wilmington.
(c) There shall be 5 Representative Districts in Kent County.
(d) There shall be 6 Representative Districts in Sussex County.
§ 604. Allocation of Senatorial Districts
(a) There shall be 4 Senatorial Districts in the City of Wilmington.
(b) There shall be 8 Senatorial Districts in New Castle County outside the City of Wilmington.
(c) There shall be 3 Senatorial Districts in Kent County.
(d) There shall be 3 Senatorial Districts in Sussex County.
§ 605. Numbering of Districts
(a) Each Representative District and each Senatorial District shall be designated by number. The numbers shall run consecutively throughout the State.
(a) The Representative Districts in the City of Wilmington shall be numbered from 1 through 8 and the Senatorial Districts therein shall be numbered from 1 through 4.
(b) The Representative Districts in New Castle County outside the City of Wilmington shall be numbered from 9 through 24 and the Senatorial Districts therein shall be numbered from 5 through 12.
(c) The Representative Districts in Kent County shall be numbered from 25 through 29 and the Senatorial District therein shall be numbered from 13 through 15.
(d) The Representative District in Sussex County shall be numbered from 30 through 35 and the Senatorial Districts therein shall be numbered from 16 through 18.
§ 606. Staggered Senatorial Districts
(a) The Senators from the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th and 17th Senatorial Districts shall be elected for a four year term in 1964 and for a four year term every 4 years thereafter.
(b) The Senators from the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th, 14th, 16th and 18th Senatorial Districts shall be elected for a 2 year term in 1964 and for a 4 year term in 1966 and for a 4 year term every 4 years thereafter.
§ 607. Determining district boundaries
The General Assembly shall determine the boundaries of the several Representative and Senatorial Districts within the City of Wilmington and within the several counties by an act of the General Assembly in such manner as there shall be substantial equality of population among the several Representative Districts and among the several Senatorial Districts.
§ 608. Publishing District boundaries
The Secretary of State, shall cause copies of the act setting forth the several Representative and Senatorial Districts to be published in a newspaper of general circulation published in each of the 3 Counties once a week for 2 consecutive weeks within a period of 20 clays after the act establishing the district boundaries becomes law.
§ 609. Redistricting after each census
The apportionment provided for by this Chapter shall continue in effect until the official reporting by the President of the United States of a succeeding Federal Decennial Census. After the official reporting of a Federal Decennial Census, the General Assembly shall reapportion and redistrict the State in such manner so that the several Representative Districts shall be substantially equal in population and in such manner so that the several Senatorial Districts shall be substantially equal in population. Such apportionment shall thence continue in effect until the next succeeding Federal Decennial Census.
Approved July 13, 1964.