Signed by Governor Matt Meyer

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits various forms of voter suppression, intimidation, and discrimination in Delaware.

Highlights:

• Requires all statutes, rules, and regulations, including those adopted by political subdivisions, to be construed liberally in favor of protecting and making accessible the right of people to register to vote, cast a ballot, and have their ballot counted (Sec. 2).

•  Prohibits state agencies, political subdivisions, and their officials from implementing or enforcing election policies or practices that create disparities in voting access or political participation for members of racial, color, or language minority groups (Sec. 3). 

• Prohibits political subdivisions from using methods of election that dilute, or are likely to dilute, the voting power of members of racial, color, or language minority groups, including where racially polarized voting limits their ability to elect candidates of their choice (Sec. 3). 

• Authorizes individuals, organizations, and the Attorney General to bring legal action over alleged voter suppression or vote dilution and generally requires a potential plaintiff, other than the Attorney General, to provide notice at least 50 days before filing suit (Sec. 3). 

• Authorizes courts to order remedies for voting rights violations, including changes to election methods or policies, revised district maps, additional voting days or hours, additional polling places, special elections, and additional voter education (Sec. 3). 

• Requires local election offices to provide language assistance when the Department of Elections determines there is a significant need, including when more than 2% and at least 100 voting-age citizens, or more than 1,000 voting-age citizens, speak the same non-English language and have limited English proficiency (Sec. 3). 

• Requires election materials in designated languages to be of equal quality to English-language materials and requires translations to convey the meaning of the original material without relying solely on automatic translation services (Sec. 3).

• Prohibits any person from intimidating, deceiving, or obstructing a voter in a way that interferes with the right to vote, including through threats or force, deceptive election information, or interference with access to a polling place or elections office (Sec. 3). 

• Authorizes courts to provide remedies for voter intimidation, deception, or obstruction, including additional time to cast a ballot, and authorizes attorney fees and damages for prevailing plaintiffs (Sec. 3). 

• Specifies that the act takes effect July 1, 2027 (Sec. 6).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that prohibits various forms of voter suppression, intimidation, and discrimination in Delaware.

Highlights:

• Requires all statutes, rules, and regulations, including those adopted by political subdivisions, to be construed liberally in favor of protecting and making accessible the right of people to register to vote, cast a ballot, and have their ballot counted (Sec. 2).

•  Prohibits state agencies, political subdivisions, and their officials from implementing or enforcing election policies or practices that create disparities in voting access or political participation for members of racial, color, or language minority groups (Sec. 3). 

• Prohibits political subdivisions from using methods of election that dilute, or are likely to dilute, the voting power of members of racial, color, or language minority groups, including where racially polarized voting limits their ability to elect candidates of their choice (Sec. 3). 

• Authorizes individuals, organizations, and the Attorney General to bring legal action over alleged voter suppression or vote dilution and generally requires a potential plaintiff, other than the Attorney General, to provide notice at least 50 days before filing suit (Sec. 3). 

• Authorizes courts to order remedies for voting rights violations, including changes to election methods or policies, revised district maps, additional voting days or hours, additional polling places, special elections, and additional voter education (Sec. 3). 

• Requires local election offices to provide language assistance when the Department of Elections determines there is a significant need, including when more than 2% and at least 100 voting-age citizens, or more than 1,000 voting-age citizens, speak the same non-English language and have limited English proficiency (Sec. 3). 

• Requires election materials in designated languages to be of equal quality to English-language materials and requires translations to convey the meaning of the original material without relying solely on automatic translation services (Sec. 3).

• Prohibits any person from intimidating, deceiving, or obstructing a voter in a way that interferes with the right to vote, including through threats or force, deceptive election information, or interference with access to a polling place or elections office (Sec. 3). 

• Authorizes courts to provide remedies for voter intimidation, deception, or obstruction, including additional time to cast a ballot, and authorizes attorney fees and damages for prevailing plaintiffs (Sec. 3). 

• Specifies that the act takes effect July 1, 2027 (Sec. 6).

Full Bill Text