In June 2023, Delaware’s enhanced motor-voter law went into effect.
Under the statute, every voting-age person who completes an application for the issuance or renewal of their Delaware driver’s license, learner’s permit, or identification card with the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), and is not already registered to vote, is automatically registered by the Department of Elections (DOE).
The process is supposed to require that the DMV confirm citizenship status before sending that information to the Department of Elections.
State Rep. Bryan Shupe (Milford South, Ellendale) learned earlier this year that the system may not be working as intended. “A green card holder in my district contacted me after she was automatically registered to vote [after visiting the DMV],” he said.
That constituent communication led Rep. Shupe to sponsor House Bill 317.
The Act would require the Department of Elections, in coordination with the DMV, and any state agency that administers voter registration, to do the following:
- Conduct a comprehensive audit of all voter registrations retroactive to January 1, 2021.
- Verify that the audited individuals meet all voter eligibility requirements, comparing that to the accuracy of the information captured by the DMV.
- Require eligibility verification for future voter registrations generated through automatic voter registration.
- Require a report on the implementation of this legislation and annual compliance reporting.
“Working with DMV, we identified approximately 50,000 people who need additional review because of document gathering practices before and after Real ID was implemented in Delaware,” Rep. Shupe said. “HB 317 is about protecting election integrity, fixing a real problem, and ensuring every voter on Delaware’s rolls is legally eligible.”
On Wednesday, the bill won bipartisan support and was released from the House Elections & Government Affairs Committee. Because the measure has an annual estimated cost of about $100,000, the bill has been reassigned to the House Appropriations Committee for further consideration.
