Subchapter II. City of Wilmington
TITLE 15
Elections
Special, Municipal and Other Elections
CHAPTER 75. MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
Subchapter II. City of Wilmington
§ 7521. Elections.
Registration and elections in the City of Wilmington for the Mayor, Council and other officers of the City of Wilmington shall in all respects be conducted in conformity with the provisions governing general elections as provided under this title, except that the canvass of the vote shall be conducted by the Department of Elections for New Castle County, which shall certify those candidates elected to office.
45 Del. Laws, c. 144, § 34; 15 Del. C. 1953, § 7521; 49 Del. Laws, c. 4, § 5; 50 Del. Laws, c. 390, § 2; 61 Del. Laws, c. 428, § 1.;
§ 7522. Definition of political party.
A political party existing only within the City of Wilmington shall be qualified to nominate candidates for the municipal election if it is a bona fide organization of registered voters of the City of Wilmington who:
(1) Elect a city committee and officers of the city committee;
(2) Nominate candidates for the municipal election by a secret ballot of those enrolled for purposes of the municipal election as members of the party taken at a convention or by some other method of polling the party membership;
(3) Not later than August 15 of the year of the municipal election, file
with the Department of Elections for New Castle County petitions certifying
that the party exists and desires to have its candidates placed on the ballot
for the forthcoming election. These petitions shall be signed by a number of
registered voters of the City of Wilmington not less than 5 percent of the
total number of registered voters within the City as of December 31 of the
year immediately preceding the municipal election. These petitions shall be
prepared between January 1 and August 15 of the year of the election. They
shall include the signature, printed name, address at which registered and
social security number of each qualified voter signing the petition. Each
petition shall also include the following declaration subscribed to under oath
by each person signing the petition:
By dating and affixing my signature to this petition, I hereby swear (or
affirm) that: (1) My full name, address at which registered and social
security number are as stated herein; (2) I am a duly registered voter of the
State of Delaware, New Castle County and the City of Wilmington; (3) For the
purposes of the municipal election only, I am a member of the
…………….................... and I support its efforts to have its name,
name of party
party device and candidates listed on the next municipal
election ballot; (4) The date entered opposite my signature is the
date on which I signed this petition; and (5) I have read and understand this
petition, and I understand that by intentionally entering false information
hereon I shall be subject to prosecution for perjury.
The petition shall also include a sworn statement, signed by the person gathering the signatures and sworn to before a notary public, that such person witnessed the placing of each signature on the petition and, to the best of that person's knowledge or belief, all those who signed the petition were duly registered voters of the City of Wilmington. This statement shall be followed by a warning that any person who knowingly signs a statement which contains falsehoods shall be subject to prosecution for perjury.
15 Del. C. 1953, § 7522; 50 Del. Laws, c. 390, § 3; 61 Del. Laws, c. 428, § 2; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 7523. Certificates of nomination.
The nominations made under this subchapter for the various offices of the City of Wilmington, together with the name of the party and its device, shall be certified to the Department of Elections for New Castle County by the presiding officer and secretary of each political party on the date and in the manner prescribed for other nominations for the general election made under this title.
15 Del. C. 1953, § 7523; 49 Del. Laws, c. 4, § 5; 50 Del. Laws, c. 390, § 4; 61 Del. Laws, c. 428, § 3.;
§ 7524. Title and device of party.
No party shall use the name of another party appearing anywhere on the ballot either in whole or in part, or any variation thereof, in its own title. The words "Independent" or "Decline," being terms employed in this title, or any variation thereof, shall not be used as the title, or part of the title, of any party. Each party shall select an appropriate figure or device to designate that party, but the coat of arms, seal or flag of the United States, this State or the City of Wilmington, or any part or variation thereof, shall not be used as such figure or device.
In case of a division in any party qualified under this subchapter and a claim by 2 or more factions to the same party name or title, figure or device, the Board of Elections for New Castle County shall determine to which faction the name and device properly belong. If, within 5 days thereafter, the other faction fails to present and certify some other party title and/or device, the Board shall select some suitable title and/or device to represent that party upon the ballot.
15 Del. C. 1953, § 7524; 49 Del. Laws, c. 4, § 5; 50 Del. Laws, c. 390, § 5; 61 Del. Laws, c. 428, § 4.;
§ 7525. Ballots.
The names of the candidates for the Mayor, Council and other officers of the City of Wilmington shall be printed on the single ballot as prescribed by § 4501 of this title and to meet the requirements of §§ 5001-5011 of this title.
15 Del. C. 1953, § 7525; 49 Del. Laws, c. 4, § 5; 50 Del. Laws, c. 390, § 6.;
§ 7526. Supplemental certificates of nomination.
Supplemental certificates of nomination for offices of the City of Wilmington shall be issued as prescribed in § 3306 of this title.
15 Del. C. 1953, § 7526; 49 Del. Laws, c. 4, § 5; 50 Del. Laws, c. 390, § 7; 58 Del. Laws, c. 148, § 143; 61 Del. Laws, c. 428, § 5.;
§ 7527. Contest of election.
If any candidate for any of the offices before mentioned shall choose to contest the right of any person claiming to have been elected to said office, the causes for such contests and all of the other provisions now set out in §§ 5941-5955 of this title shall be applicable, and all such contests shall be determined pursuant to all of said sections.
15 Del. C. 1953, § 7527; 50 Del. Laws, c. 390, § 8.;
§ 7528. General provisions.
All of the provisions of this title pertaining to elections, including registration of voters, Chapters 11, 13, 17, 19, 20, 21, and 23, primary elections and nomination of candidates, Chapters 31 and 33, general elections, Chapters 41, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, and 57, as well as Chapter 50 of this title, shall be applicable to the holding of elections in accordance with this subchapter.
15 Del. C. 1953, § 7528; 49 Del. Laws, c. 4, § 5; 50 Del. Laws, c. 390, § 9.;