Matthew Albright

The News Journal

A bi-partisan group of legislators wants Delaware to have all primary elections on the same day.

Currently, voters pick Republican and Democratic presidential nominees on the fourth Tuesday in April, but have to wait until the second Tuesday after the first Monday in September to select party nominees in state and local races.

This year, that means April 26 and Sept. 13.

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Supporters say consolidation would save the state money by having fewer elections, prevent confusion among voters and hopefully increase turnout.House Bill 375 would hold all primaries on the April date. The change would start with the 2020 presidential election year, but would apply to all "off-year" elections after that.

"Democracy works best when everyone gets involved and participates," said Rep. Stephanie T. Bolden, D-Wilmington East, the bill's prime sponsor, in a news release. "We've seen from year to year that far more people vote in the presidential primaries than in the state primaries of the same year. In most cases, voters turning out to vote for president are confused when they can't vote in a primary for governor, Congress, or local legislative races."

The release cites Department of Elections figures that say the state spent about $1 million on the 2016 presidential primaries. It also cites National Conference of State Legislators, which says 17 other states hold primaries on the same day, including Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Republicans and Democrats in both chambers of the General Assembly have signed onto the bill.

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the presumptive presidential nominees for the Republican and Democratic parties, both locked down about 60 percent of the vote in Delaware last month.

In September, there are primaries for Delaware's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, lieutenant governor, Wilmington mayor and many seats in the General Assembly.

Contact Matthew Albright at malbright@delawareonline.com, (302) 324-2428 or on Twitter @TNJ_malbright.