Committee considers moving Delaware primary to presidential primary to boost turnout, reduce costs

Representative Stephanie T. Bolden, chair of the House Elections and Government Affairs Committee, introduced House Bill 65 at a committee hearing to move Delaware’s primary election for statewide, county and municipal offices to the fourth Tuesday in April—the date chosen to align with the presidential primary.

Bolden said the change aims to raise low primary turnout and ease administrative strain. “In 2022, only 16.2% of registered [voters] participated in the primary,” Bolden said, and she told the panel the later primary date creates a time crunch for the Department of Elections when producing and sending ballots to military and overseas voters.

Supporters at the hearing said the alignment could increase participation and reduce costs. Fleur McKendall, president of the Delaware NAACP State Conference of Branches, urged the…