FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | April 9, 2026
Contact: Sarah Fulton (302) 401-1114
Quinn Kirkpatrick (302) 545-8767
DOVER — To strengthen the integrity of state-run elections and safeguard democracy in the First State, lawmakers have introduced a package of three bills to modernize and improve Delaware’s election laws.
The first is Senate Bill 266, which updates definitions and makes other technical revisions to Title 15 of the Delaware Code, bringing it into conformity with modern vocabulary and technology used in the administration of state elections. This legislation was introduced last week by Sen. Dan Cruce and Rep. Stephanie T. Bolden, chairs of the Senate and House Elections & Government Affairs committees.
“The modernization of our election laws is essential to ensuring voter confidence and overall trust in our electoral process. This bill is about election protection and safeguarding our democracy, ensuring that Delaware’s elections are held in a way that is clear, fair, and reliable,” said Sen. Dan Cruce. “While national distrust in government has grown, it’s important that we meet the moment here at home to uphold our core values and guarantee trust at the ballot box.”
SB 266 includes 9 sections that update various components of Title 15, the main laws governing the Delaware Department of Elections. Notable changes include:
- In addition to modernizing definitions and repealing obsolete terminology, Section 1 codifies how the Department determines residency for purposes of registering to vote and to be a candidate for office.
- Section 2 updates and clarifies the requirements for the electronic voting systems that were first implemented back in 2019. This section is based on feedback about how these systems have functioned throughout the past several election cycles and factors in ongoing improvements to the voting technology. These requirements include software updates, testing standards, and audit requirements.
- Section 3 includes language about modern ballot scanning, replacing obsolete language about hand-marked paper ballots (which now only exist for absentee ballots.)
- Section 4 provides clarity for how absentee ballots are to be counted (or deemed deficient.)
- While most of Sections 5 – 9 are technical changes, there is language in Section 8 that relates to voting after a court orders a polling place to be kept open beyond the normal time for closing so that people voting under that court order can vote for all offices on the ballot without having to use a provisional ballot.
“In the past decade, we have made great strides in creating more accessibility in our state elections, and ensuring that every voice has the opportunity to be heard,” said Rep. Stephanie T. Bolden. “Every detail matters when we make changes to our election process, and this legislation makes that abundantly clear. We cannot and will not cut corners when it comes to making sure that every vote cast is accurately recorded, and every Delawarean sees their decisions reflected in the final count.”
House Bill 344 and House Bill 360 pertain to Chapter 80 of Title 15, relating to campaign finance reporting for candidates and other political committees.
“Voters deserve to know who they are voting for, and that means knowing how each party’s campaign finances are truly being used,” said Rep. Eric Morrison. “Supported by both the Department of Elections and the Department of Justice, HB 344 is a simple yet critical bill aimed at clarifying and streamlining the disclosure and enforcement provisions of Delaware’s campaign finance laws – and making sure that every dollar is accounted for.”
Sponsored by Rep. Eric Morrison and Sen. Bryan Townsend, HB 344 clarifies many components of Delaware’s campaign finance disclosure requirements. Specifically, this bill:
- Requires candidates and treasurers to complete training every two years from Dept of Elections.
- Requires that if a committee’s treasurer changes, it must report the new name and contact information to DOE within 7 days. If a new treasurer is appointed, that treasurer must complete the training within 30 days of appointment.
- Sets standards for how loans must be documented and reported and requires loan proceeds to be deposited into the committee account within 3 business days.
- Mandates that a campaign may not have a negative balance at time of reporting.
- Extends record retention requirements from 3 years to 5 years.
- Clarifies that DOE must report alleged campaign violations monthly to the Division of Civil Rights & Public Trust within the Delaware Department of Justice.
- Confirms audit authority for the State Elections Commissioner.
- Authorizes regulations and training requirements.
- Expands the automatic report filing extension from 24 hours to 48 hours.
- Provides that if reports remain unfiled or fines unpaid after a citation period, the committee cannot engage in campaign finance activity until resolved.
- Requires the Division of Civil Rights & Public Trust to submit an annual report listing prosecutions initiated or ongoing.
“This legislation is rooted in providing trust, while tightening our existing reporting procedures,” said Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend. “House Bill 344 will hold both campaigns and political committees to higher standards, which will bolster enforcement mechanisms to address potential bad actors.”
HB 360, sponsored by Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall and Sen. Kyra Hoffner, requires political committees to submit quarterly campaign finance reports rather than just an annual report, as currently mandated.
“I am excited to be sponsoring a bill that would require quarterly reporting, which is something I advocated for in my previous position as Executive Director of Common Cause Delaware,” said Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall. “Quarterly reporting is important because it allows voters to see who is funding a candidate earlier in the year, which is critical information for them to have in their decision-making process.”
The legislation also removes the requirement for political committees to submit a campaign finance report 30-days before an election, but maintains the requirement to file a report 8-days before an election.
“Committes that support candidates and political parties are an integral part of our electoral process. The money that flows from these committees to candidates deserves to be as open to the public as possible, and this bill achieves that goal,” said Sen. Kyra Hoffner. “Voters deserve to know how money is spent in our state’s elections so they can make decisions free from undue influence, for better or for worse.”
SB 266 will be heard in the Senate Elections & Government Affairs Committee on Wednesday, April 15. HB 344 and HB 360 have been assigned to the House Elections & Government Affairs Committee.
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