Delaware

On March 28, 2019, Governor John Carney signed the National Popular Vote bill, making Delaware the 14th jurisdiction to enact the bill into law.  The League of Women Voters and Common Cause Delaware were especially helpful in getting the bill passed in the Delaware legislature.   In picture below, left to right around Delaware Governor John Carney signing the National Popular Vote bill are Julie Price of League of Women Voters; Sandy Spence of League of Women Voters; Dee Durham, Common Cause Delaware; Jennifer Hill, Common Cause Delaware; Delaware State Sen. Harris McDowell; Representative Ray Seigfried; Saul Anuzis of National Popular Vote; Senator Bryan Townsend; Andrew Wilson of Morris James; Representative Paul Baumbach; Cheryl Siskin of League of Women Voters; and Letty Diswood of League of Women Voters. 

On March 14, 2019, the Delaware House of Representatives passed the National Popular Vote bill by 24-17 vote and sent the bill to Governor John Carney (status of SB 22).  

On March 13, 2019, the Delaware House Administration Committee held a public hearing and approved the National Popular Vote bill in a 3-2 vote (status of SB 22). 

On March 7, 2019, the Delaware Senate passed the National Popular Vote bill in a bi-partisan 14-7 vote (status of SB 22).  The bill now goes to the Delaware House of Representatives, where it is sponsored by a 24 of the 41 members.  The bill has passed the House on two previous occasions.

On March 6, 2019, the Senate Elections, Government & Community Affairs Committee held a public hearing on the National Popular Vote bill (status of SB 22) and approved the bill.

March 6, 2019 Hearing of Senate Elections, Government & Community Affairs Committee

In February 2019, a bipartisan group of 13 Delaware Senators and numerous Representatives sponsored the National Popular Vote bill (status of SB 22) in the Delaware legislature. Senate sponsors included Senators Townsend, McDowell, and Delcollo and Senate co-sponsors included Senators Brown, Cloutier, Ennis, Hansen, Lockman, Paradee, Poore, Sokola, Sturgeon, and Walsh. 

On January 7, 2019, over 100 people attended a panel discussion and lunch in Wilmington sponsored by the National Popular Vote organization.  Speakers included Massachusetts Common Cause President Pam Wilmot and Vermont State Senator Christopher Pearson.

On June 7, 2011, the Delaware House of Representatives approved the National Popular Vote bill.  

In February, 2011, Representatives Dennis E. Williams, Melanie George, and John Kowalko and Senators Margaret Rose Henry, Michael Katz, and Karen Peterson introduced the National Popular Vote bill (HB 55) in Delaware.

On June 24, 2009, the Delaware House of Representatives passed the National Popular Vote bill (HB 198  Status of HB 198) by a 23-12 vote. The Delaware House is the 29th state legislative chamber in the country to pass the National Popular Vote bill. 

On June 4, 2009, Representatives Dennis E. Williams and Senator Michael S. Katz introduced the National Popular Vote bill, with additional sponsorship from Representatives E. Bradford Bennett, Gerald L. Brady, S. Quinton Johnson, and John A. Kowalko. 

A survey of 800 Delaware voters conducted on December 21-22, 2008 showed 75% overall support for a national popular vote for President. Support was 79% among Democrats, 69% among Republicans, and 76% among independents. By age, support was 71% among 18-29 year olds, 70% among 30-45 year olds, 77% among 46-65 year olds, and 77% for those older than 65. By gender, support was 81% among women and 69% among men. By race, support was 77% among whites (representing 77% of respondents, 72% among African Americans (representing 20% of respondents), 67% among Hispanics (representing 1% of respondents), and 66% among Others (representing 3% of respondents). The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 1/2%. December 2008 Delaware poll

On January 15, 2007, Delaware Senator Robert L. Venables announced that he was planning to introduce the National Popular Vote bill into Delaware Legislature for the 2007 session.

In 1966, Delaware Attorney General David P. Buckson (R) filed a lawsuit on behalf of the state of Delaware and 11 other predominantly low-population states (including North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Kentucky, Florida, Pennsylvania) against New York concerning New York’s use of the winner-take-all rule in presidential elections. Under the winner-take-all rule (also called the "unit rule" or "general ticket" system), all of a state's electoral votes are awarded to the candidate who receives the most popular votes in each separate state. In State of Delaware v. State of New York, the plaintiff states argued that New York's use of the winner-take-all rule effectively disenfranchised voters in their states. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case (presumably because of the well-established constitutional provision that the manner of awarding electoral votes is exclusively a state decision). Ironically, the defendant (New York) is no longer an influential closely divided battleground state (as it was in the 1960s). Today, New York suffers the very same disenfranchisement as most states because it too has become politically non-competitive. Today, a vote in New York is equal to a vote in Delaware: votes in both are equally irrelevant in presidential elections.