Delaware- Governor:1
- Senators: 2 (Electoral Classes 1 and 2)
- 2020 Census: 990,837 (0.30% of 331,797,979
- 2024, 2028 Electors: 3 (0.56% of 538)
- 2022-2030 Representatives: 1 (0.23% of 435)
- 2010 Census: 900,877 (0.29% of 309,785,186)
- 2012, 2016, 2020 Electors: 3 (0.56% of 538)
- 2012-2020 Representatives: 1 (0.23% of 435)
- Capital: Dover
Current Delaware Statewide Office Holders
Official Name/Status All States
- The STATE of Delaware
- Full Official Name: the Delaware State (1776-1792) [name changed to current one by 2nd Constitution]
- Status: STATE of the Union
- Ratified Articles of Confederation: 1 February 1779. this State formally adhered to the Articles on 5 May 1779 when the document was signed by its delegates to the Seventh Continental Congress
- Ratified Constitution of the United States: 7 December 1787
- The 1st state.
Traditional Sections and Regions All States
- Section: NORTHEAST
- Region: Mid-Atlantic
- Survey: Metes & Bounds
Constitutions All States Links to State Constitutions
- Enabling Act: [None. One of the 13 original States which declared their independence from the nascent British Empire on 4 July 1776]
- 1st (1776-1792) [Adopted: 10 September 1776 Convention convened, 27 August 1776, Ratified: 21 September 1776 not submitted to the People: date is that on which this Constitution was proclaimed]
- 2nd (1792-1831) [Adopted: 12 June 1792 Convention convened earlier in June 1792, Ratified: 12 June 1792 not submitted to the People]
- 3rd (1831-1897) [Adopted: 2 December 1831 Convention convened, 8 November 1831, Ratified: 2 December 1831 not submitted to the People]
- 4th (1897-) [Adopted: 4 June 1897 Convention convened, 1 December 1896, Ratified: 4 June 1897 not submitted to the People; effective, 10 June 1897]
Executive Branch All States
- Chief Executive
- PRESIDENT (1776-1792) [under the State's 1st Constitution]
- GOVERNOR (1792--) [under the State's 2nd, 3rd and 4th Constitutions]
- Successor to a Vacancy
- Speaker of the Legislative Council (1776-1792) [under State's 1st Constitution: would merely become "acting President"; next in line of succession: Speaker of the House of Assembly]
- Speaker of the State Senate (1792-1897) [under the State's 2nd and 3rd Constitutions: would merely become "acting Governor"; next in line of succession: Speaker of the State House of Representatives]
- Lieutenant Governor (1897--) [under State's 4th Constitution; next in the line of succession: Secretary of State, then Attorney General, President pro Tempore of the State Senate, Speaker of the State House of Representatives]
- Major Executive Officers Elected Statewide All States
- Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2024, 2028. Term Limit: No one can serve more than 2 4-year terms in a lifetime
- Lieutenant Governor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2024, 2028. Elected separately from Governor
- Attorney General: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Treasurer: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Auditor: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2022, 2026
- Commissioner of Insurance: 4 year term, Election Cycle: 2024, 2028
Legislative Branch All States
- Legislature
- GENERAL ASSEMBLY
- Upper House
- [Legislative] Council (1776-1792)
- Senate (1792--) [Name changed with the adoption of the State's 2nd Constitution]
- Lower House
- [House of] Assembly (1776-1792)
- House of Representatives (1792--) [Name changed with the adoption of the State's 2nd Constitution]
Judicial Branch All States
- Court of Last Resort
- Court of Appeals (1776-1792) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: State]
- High Court of Errors and Appeals (1792-1831) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: State]
- Court of Errors and Appeals (1831-1897) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: State]
- Supreme Court (1897--) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: State]
- General Trial Jurisdiction
- Supreme Court (1776-1831) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: State]
- Court of Quarter Sessions of the Peace and Gaol Delivery (1792-1831) Constitutional Court [IN: State FOR: county]
- Court of General Sessions of the Peace and General Jail-Delivery (1831-1897) Constitutional Court [IN: State FOR: county]
- Superior Court (1831--) Constitutional Court [IN: State FOR: county]
- Court of General Sessions (1897-1951) Constitutional Court [IN: State FOR: county. Functions of Court of General Sessions (principally a criminal court) transferred to Superior Court (heretofore principally a civil court)]
- Limited Jurisdiction
- Justices of the Peace Constitutional Court [IN: county FOR: hundred, later: district]
- Alderman's Court Statutory Court [IN and FOR: municipality]
- Court of Common Pleas (1776-1792) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: county]
- Court of Common Pleas (1792-1831) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: State]
- Court of Common Pleas (1831--) Statutory Court [IN: State FOR: county]
- Special Jurisdiction
- Wilmington Municipal Court (--1998) Statutory Court [IN and FOR: City of Wilmington. In 1998, all jurisdiction exercised by the Municipal Court of Wilmington was transferred to the Justice of the Peace Courts already having jurisdiction in that city]
- Orphans' Court (1776-1975) Constitutional Court [IN: State FOR: county]
- Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Gaol-Delivery (1792-1831) Constitutional Court [IN: State FOR: county]
- Chancery Court (1792--) Constitutional Court [IN: State FOR: county]
- Register's Court (1792-1975) Constitutional Court [IN and FOR: county]
- Court of Oyer and Terminer (1831-1951) Constitutional Court [IN: State FOR: county. Functions of Court of Oyer and Terminer (which heard cases involving the most serious crimes) transferred to Superior Court along with functions of Court of General Sessions]
- Family Court (1977--) Statutory Court [IN and FOR: county]
Local Government All States
- PRIMARY CIVIL DIVISION All States
- County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: LEVY COURT]
- MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
- hundred [Type: Vestigial, Executive and Legislative: no associated governmental structure. The hundred was once the unit re: Delaware's Justices of the Peace (it was also used for a time as the basis of representation in the General Assembly); although, for the most part, defunct (it still functions relative to locating property re: legal title to land), the hundred remains Delaware's traditional subdivision of the county.]
- MINOR CIVIL DIVISION
- County [Type: Strong, Executive and Legislative: LEVY COURT]
- Incorporated Municipalities All States
- City [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): none, Form(s) of government: chartered by special act of General Assembly]
- Town [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): none, Form(s) of government: chartered by special act of General Assembly]
- Village [Separated from MCD: ---, Population requirement(s): none, Form(s) of government: chartered by special act of General Assembly]
- Borough (1999-2001) [Separated from MCD: Yes, Population requirement(s): population, Form(s) of government: forms]
Key Statewide / Federal Officials All States
Statutory Election Information All States
- General Election All States
- (1792-1831) annual: 1st Tuesday of October
[per DE Constitution of 1792] - (1832-1854) biennial: 2d Tuesday of November
[per DE Constitution of 1831] - (1856--) biennial: Tuesday next after 1st Monday in November [DELAWARE Constitution, Article V. Elections, §1: incorporating an Amendment to an earlier DE Constitution]
- (1792-1831) annual: 1st Tuesday of October
- Presidential Primary All States
- (--2011) ... a presidential primary election for major political parties shall be conducted on the first Tuesday in February in the calendar year of a presidential election. [Delaware Code, Title 15, Chapter 31, Subchapter V. § 3181 (a)]
- (2011--) ... a presidential primary election for major political parties shall be conducted on the fourth Tuesday in April in the calendar year of a presidential election. [Delaware Code, Title 15, Chapter 31, Subchapter V. §3181 (a)]
- (2024-2024) ... a presidential primary election for major political parties shall be conducted on the 1st Tuesday in April in the calendar year of a presidential election. [Delaware Code, Title 15, Chapter 31, Subchapter V. §3181 (a)]. This Act expires on May 1, 2024 ... [Senate Bill 149, Section 2. Signed 21 July 2023.]
- State Primary All States
- Primary elections for all political parties shall be conducted on the 2nd Tuesday after the 1st Monday in September, except in 2018, when said elections shall be conducted on 6 September 2018. [Delaware Code, Title 15, Chapter 31, §3101 (3)]. [If the date is a holiday, the election is held 1 week earlier -Ed]
- Polling times All States
- The general election shall be opened in every election district at 7:00 in the morning... [Delaware Code, Title 15, Chapter 49, §4931]. The election shall be continued open until 8:00 p.m. when it shall be closed... [Delaware Code, Title 15, Chapter 49, §4947].
The time for opening the polls for the purpose of conducting a primary election shall be 7:00 in the morning, and the time for closing the polls at such primary election shall be 8:00 in the evening. [Delaware Code, Title 15, Chapter 31, Subchapter I. §3104]
- The general election shall be opened in every election district at 7:00 in the morning... [Delaware Code, Title 15, Chapter 49, §4931]. The election shall be continued open until 8:00 p.m. when it shall be closed... [Delaware Code, Title 15, Chapter 49, §4947].
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