Title 15, Elections

§ 8007. Training [Effective July 1, 2027]. All candidates and treasurers of political committees must complete a biennial training on campaign finance laws provided by the Commissioner. The initial training must be completed no later than 30 days after a statement of organization…

§§ 8008-8009. Limits on expenditures; reports and sworn statements; public disclosure; certificates of election. Repealed by 67 Del. Laws, c. 449, § 1, effective Jan. 1, 1991.

§ 8010. Contribution limits for candidates. (a) No person (other than a political party) shall make, and no candidate, treasurer or anyone acting on behalf of any candidate or candidate committee shall accept, any contribution which will cause the total amount of such person’s co…

§ 8011. Contribution limits for parties. No person shall make any contributions which will cause the total amount of such person’s contributions to a political party to exceed $20,000 during an election period. No treasurer or other person acting on behalf of any political party …

§ 8012. Contribution limits generally. (a) No person shall make, and no candidate, treasurer or any other person acting on behalf of a political committee shall accept, any contribution in excess of $50 in cash to a political committee during an election period. (b) No political …

§ 8012A. Contributions to a political party from a joint account. (a) Any contribution to a political committee made by means of a check, debit card, or other means of payment from a joint account shall be allocated to the person who signed the check, who authorized the payment i…

§ 8013. Short title [Effective until July 1, 2027]. Repealed by 67 Del. Laws, c. 449, § 1, effective Jan. 1, 1991.

§ 8020. Authorized campaign expenditures. No political committee may make any expenditure except for the following purposes: (1) Wages of full-time or part-time campaign staff (but no salary or wage for a candidate or a candidate’s spouse). (2) Travel expenses of the candidate an…

§ 8021. Identification of purchaser. (a) All campaign advertisements having a fair market value of $500 or more, except printed items with a surface of less than 9 square inches, shall include prominently the statement: “Paid for by [name of political committee or other person pa…

§ 8022. Leftover funds. Any funds remaining in any political committee which has completed its activities and paid all its creditors shall be paid to a successor committee or committees without being subject to the contribution limits set forth in this chapter or shall be donated…

§ 8023. Independent expenditures67 Del. Laws, c. 449, § 1; repealed by 78 Del. Laws, c. 400, § 6, eff. Jan. 1, 2013.;

§ 8030. Reports of political committees. (a) Each candidate (except a candidate who is excused from filing a report under § 8004 of this title) and every treasurer (except of a candidate excused from filing a report under § 8004 of this title) shall be responsible for filing with…

§ 8031. Special reports — Third-party advertisements. (a) Any person other than a candidate committee or political party who makes an expenditure for any third-party advertisement that causes the aggregate amount of expenditures for third-party advertisements made by such person …

§ 8031A. Negative balance prohibited [Effective July 1, 2027]. No report submitted under § 8030 or § 8031 of this title may contain a negative ending balance. “Ending balance” means the ending balance from the last reporting period and total receipts from the current reporting pe…

§ 8032. Public disclosure. All reports made to the Commissioner and all rulings made by the Commissioner under this chapter shall be public and shall, immediately upon their filing, be made available by the office of the Commissioner for inspection and copying at reasonable cost …

§ 8033. Reporting campaign violations. (a) The Department shall establish a telephone number and online form for the reporting of any suspected violations under this chapter. (b) A person reporting a suspected violation under subsection (a) of this section must provide their name…

§ 8040. Certificates of election. No certificate of election shall be granted to any candidate until the Superior Court has certified that such candidate has caused to be filed all reports required by § 8030 of this title to be filed prior to the election.59 Del. Laws, c. 580, § …

§ 8041. Duties and powers of Commissioner [Effective until July 1, 2027]. The Commissioner shall: (1) Make and publish such rules and regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter as are necessary to implement and enforce this chapter. Upon their adoption under…

§ 8042. Civil remedies. For purposes of any civil remedy on behalf of any injured person, the Court of Chancery shall have jurisdiction.59 Del. Laws, c. 580, § 1; 67 Del. Laws, c. 449, § 1;

§ 8043. Violations; penalties; jurisdiction in Superior Court. (a) Except as set forth in § 8044 of this title, any person who knowingly violates any provision of § 8003, § 8004 or § 8005 of this title shall be guilty of a class B misdemeanor. (b) Any person who knowingly accepts…

§ 8044. Tardy reports [Effective until July 1, 2027]. (a) (1) The Commissioner may issue a citation to a reporting party when a report required under this chapter is tardy. (2) For the purposes of this section, “tardy” and “tardiness” means a report that is not filed, not filed o…

§ 8045. Attorney General candidates. Whenever it shall be alleged that an offense under this chapter has been committed by a candidate for the Office of Attorney General of Delaware, if the Chancellor of the State of Delaware finds probable cause, based on sworn information, to b…

§ 8045A. Use of prerecorded or automated voice message. (a) Every individual, party, entity, person, including a corporation, organization, political or otherwise, candidate for public office, political party, company, or otherwise that makes an automated telephone call, which in…

§ 8046. Short title. This chapter shall be known as the “Campaign Financing and Disclosure Act of 1990.”67 Del. Laws, c. 449, § 1;

§ 8101. Mechanisms to challenge voting discrimination [Effective July 1, 2027]. (a) Pursuant to the procedure set forth in § 8105 of this title, any election policy or practice that is contained in a charter provision approved by the General Assembly or any other enactment contai…

§ 8102. Prohibited voter suppression [Effective July 1, 2027]. (a) A political subdivision, a state agency, or an official of a political subdivision or a state agency may not engage in voter suppression as set forth in this section. (b) Prohibited voter suppression is the implem…

§ 8103. Prohibited vote dilution [Effective July 1, 2027]. (a) A political subdivision may not employ a method of election that has the effect, is likely to have the effect, or is motivated in whole or in part by an intent to dilute the vote of protected class members. (b) Prohib…

§ 8104. Guidelines and relevant circumstances [Effective July 1, 2027]. (a) Where a totality of the circumstances test applies under § 8102(b)(2) or § 8103(b)(1)b. of this title, factors that may be considered include all of the following: (1) The history of discrimination in or …

§ 8105. Enforcement and pre-suit notice [Effective July 1, 2027]. (a) An action to cure a violation of § 8102 or § 8103 of this title may be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction by an individual aggrieved by such violation, an organization aggrieved by such a violation, o…

§ 8106. Remedies [Effective July 1, 2027]. (a) Upon finding a violation of the Delaware Constitution or § 8102 or § 8103 of this title, a court of competent jurisdiction may order 1 or more appropriate remedies that are tailored to address the violation and ensure protected class…

§ 8120. Language access [Effective July 1, 2027]. (a) The Department of Elections must designate 1 or more languages, other than English, for which local offices will be required to implement language assistance programs if the Department of Elections finds that a significant and…

§ 8121. Enforcement [Effective July 1, 2027]. (a) An action to cure a violation of this subchapter may be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction by an individual aggrieved by such violation, or an organization aggrieved by such a violation, or the Attorney General. Members …

§ 8130. Prohibited interference with the right to vote [Effective July 1, 2027]. (a) In addition to the criminal and civil offenses in Chapters 51 and 53 of this title, a person, whether acting under color of state law or otherwise, may not engage in acts of intimidation, decepti…

§ 8131. Standing and remedies [Effective July 1, 2027]. (a) An action to cure a violation of this subchapter may be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction by an individual aggrieved by such violation, or an organization aggrieved by such a violation, or the Attorney General…