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 committee to move the bill forward, saying it would “boost voter participation and streamline the electoral process” and recommending companion policies for voter education and equitable candidate access. Andrew Bernstein, a voting-rights fellow at the ACLU of Delaware, cited out-of-state examples where aligning local and federal contests substantially increased turnout and told the committee that consolidating election dates reduces the burden on voters who face childcare, transportation or inflexible work schedules.

Michael Benson, political action co-chair for the Delaware NAACP State Conference executive committee, also voiced support and said the bill would provide “less confusion and motivation to get out to vote.” Sheila Grant of AARP Delaware and Becca Cotto of YWCA Delaware likewise urged committee members to advance HB 65, arguing the change would allow voters to cast ballots for national and local offices on a single day.

Anthony Albence, Commissioner of the Delaware Department of Elections, told the committee the change would have operational benefits and estimated cost savings of about $1.5 million compared with the current schedule, after accounting for early voting and increased poll-worker stipends. Albence also said aligning the primary would ease pressure created by the timelines under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), noting that staff often must work extended hours to meet federal deadlines for overseas ballots.

Committee members moved to release the bill from committee, but because several members were absent they did not secure the four signatures required to report it out. Representative Bolden said she would seek the remaining signatures after the meeting. The sponsor said the bill would not take effect immediately; committee discussion indicated the change would apply in a future presidential-election cycle (committee members referenced implementation in the 2028 presidential election year).

Why it matters: Supporters said HB 65 could increase turnout, simplify election administration, and save state resources. Opponents were not recorded during the hearing; committee members asked no substantive questions that changed the bill text during the recorded discussion.

Votes at a glance: A motion to release HB 65 was made and seconded; roll-call signatures were not completed during the meeting and the bill was not reported out. Committee members present indicated support and will seek additional signatures to circulate the bill for committee release.