HB 293 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 15 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO ELECTIONS.
Last action — Signed by Governor
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✓Introduced
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✓In Committee
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✓Passed House
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✓Passed Senate
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✓To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced March 28, 2024. Enacted.
Odds of enactment
High chanceBased on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.
Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.
A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.
Prognosis
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Enacted
Current position in the legislative process.
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24 sponsors
24 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
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Bipartisan support
Sponsored across 2 parties (14 D · 3 R) — cross-party backing.
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Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 2 recorded votes so far.
Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.
Summary
Federal and Delaware law protect the right to vote and the rights of individuals with disabilities to have equal access to voting places and public facilities. Nonetheless, recent information suggests that a substantial number of polling places in Delaware are either inaccessible to persons with disabilities or lack accessible parking, infringing on the right of all eligible persons to vote in this State. This substitute, like House Bill No. 293, requires that the Department of Elections ensure that polling places selected for elections are accessible to voters with disabilities and elderly voters. This substitute adds a provision that in addition to being accessible, the accessibility features are available to voters in any election. Like House Bill No. 293, this substitute allows certain exceptions for states of emergency, or for circumstances in which no accessible polling place in a particular polling area is available and the Election Commissioner ensures that those voters impacted are provided with an alternative accessible polling place or alternative means for casting a ballot upon advance request. This substitute limits the states of emergency that would allow an exception to natural disasters or other emergencies that render a polling place unsafe or unusable. This substitute also adds a provision allowing any person with information that the Department has not complied with this section to file an administrative complaint with the Department.
Bill Text
- Bill Text View text Current pdf
Action History
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Signed by Governor
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Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES
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Reported Out of Committee (Elections & Government Affairs) in Senate with 1 Favorable, 5 On Its Merits
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Assigned to Elections & Government Affairs Committee in Senate
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Passed By House. Votes: 34 YES 7 ABSENT
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was introduced and adopted in lieu of HB 293
Sponsors
- Stell Parker Selby · Primary
- John "Jack" Walsh · Primary
- Brian Pettyjohn · Primary
- Lyndon D. Yearick · Primary
- Sherry Dorsey Walker · Primary
- Peter C. Schwartzkopf · Primary
- Paul S. Baumbach · Primary
- Cyndie Romer · Primary
- Michael Ramone · Primary
- Sean Matthews · Primary
- Valerie Longhurst · Primary
- David L. Wilson · Primary
- Edward S. Osienski · Primary
- Eric Morrison · Primary
- David P. Sokola · Primary
- Sean M. Lynn · Primary
- Spiros Mantzavinos · Primary
- Kendra Johnson · Primary
- Russell Huxtable · Primary
- Kerri Evelyn Harris · Primary
- Franklin D. Cooke · Primary
- Darius J. Brown · Primary
- William Bush · Primary
- William J. Carson · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →24 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 38 not signed on
Sponsors (24)
- Stell Parker Selby
- John "Jack" Walsh Democratic
- Brian Pettyjohn Republican
- Lyndon D. Yearick Republican
- Sherry Dorsey Walker
- Peter C. Schwartzkopf
- Paul S. Baumbach
- Cyndie Romer Democratic
- Michael Ramone
- Sean Matthews
- Valerie Longhurst
- David L. Wilson Republican
- Edward S. Osienski Democratic
- Eric Morrison Democratic
- David P. Sokola Democratic
- Sean M. Lynn Democratic
- Spiros Mantzavinos Democratic
- Kendra Johnson Democratic
- Russell Huxtable Democratic
- Kerri Evelyn Harris Democratic
- Franklin D. Cooke Democratic
- Darius J. Brown Democratic
- William Bush Democratic
- William J. Carson Democratic
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (38)
38 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 38 →"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unaffiliated | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (21)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Kyle Evans Gay | — | Yea |
| Sarah McBride | — | Yea |
| Bryan Townsend | Democratic | Yea |
| Darius J. Brown | Democratic | Yea |
| David P. Sokola | Democratic | Yea |
| John "Jack" Walsh | Democratic | Yea |
| Kyra L. Hoffner | Democratic | Yea |
| Laura V. Sturgeon | Democratic | Yea |
| Marie Pinkney | Democratic | Yea |
| Nicole Poore | Democratic | Yea |
| Russell Huxtable | Democratic | Yea |
| S. Elizabeth Lockman | Democratic | Yea |
| Spiros Mantzavinos | Democratic | Yea |
| Stephanie L. Hansen | Democratic | Yea |
| Trey Paradee | Democratic | Yea |
| Brian Pettyjohn | Republican | Yea |
| Bryant L. Richardson | Republican | Yea |
| Dave G. Lawson | Republican | Yea |
| David L. Wilson | Republican | Yea |
| Eric Buckson | Republican | Yea |
| Gerald W. Hocker | Republican | Yea |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Democratic | 17 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Republican | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 34 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| % of votes cast | 83% | 0% | 0% | 17% |
How each member voted (41)
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does HB 293 do?
- Federal and Delaware law protect the right to vote and the rights of individuals with disabilities to have equal access to voting places and public facilities. Nonetheless, recent information suggests that a substantial number of polling places in Delaware are either inaccessible to persons with disabilities or lack accessible parking, infringing on the right of all eligible persons to vote in this State. This substitute, like House Bill No. 293, requires that the Department of Elections ensure that polling places selected for elections are accessible to voters with disabilities and elderly voters. This substitute adds a provision that in addition to being accessible, the accessibility features are available to voters in any election. Like House Bill No. 293, this substitute allows certain exceptions for states of emergency, or for circumstances in which no accessible polling place in a particular polling area is available and the Election Commissioner ensures that those voters impacted are provided with an alternative accessible polling place or alternative means for casting a ballot upon advance request. This substitute limits the states of emergency that would allow an exception to natural disasters or other emergencies that render a polling place unsafe or unusable. This substitute also adds a provision allowing any person with information that the Department has not complied with this section to file an administrative complaint with the Department.
- Who sponsors HB 293?
- HB 293 is sponsored by Stell Parker Selby, John "Jack" Walsh (Democratic), Brian Pettyjohn (Republican), Lyndon D. Yearick (Republican), Sherry Dorsey Walker, Peter C. Schwartzkopf, Paul S. Baumbach, Cyndie Romer (Democratic), Michael Ramone, Sean Matthews, Valerie Longhurst, David L. Wilson (Republican), Edward S. Osienski (Democratic), Eric Morrison (Democratic), David P. Sokola (Democratic), Sean M. Lynn (Democratic), Spiros Mantzavinos (Democratic), Kendra Johnson (Democratic), Russell Huxtable (Democratic), Kerri Evelyn Harris (Democratic), Franklin D. Cooke (Democratic), Darius J. Brown (Democratic), William Bush (Democratic), and William J. Carson (Democratic).
- What is the current status of HB 293?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced March 28, 2024. Enacted.
- Where can I track HB 293?
- Track HB 293 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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