Redistricting Rules

https://delcode.delaware.gov/title9/c070/index.shtml

Delaware State Code Title 9, Chapter 70 Sussex County Government and County Administrator

§ 7002 County government.

(a) Number and term.

The county government shall consist of 5 members. Unless otherwise provided by law, elected officials of the county governing body shall serve a term of 4 years, or until their successors have been elected and take office. Such officials shall take office on the first Tuesday in January following their election.

(v) Redistricting.

(1) In the event that by a redistricting of the senatorial or representative districts of Sussex County, the numbers of representative districts shall be reduced in number from 6 to 5, then it shall be the mandatory duty of the county government to redistrict Sussex County into 5 councilmanic districts for the election of the county government and the boundaries of each of said districts shall coincide with the boundaries of 1 of the said representative districts. To accomplish the redistricting, the county government, within 3 months after the reapportionment of the Sussex County representative districts, shall appoint 5 qualified voters of the County who shall comprise the redistricting commissioners. The commissioners shall be appointed, 1 from each of the 5 representative districts, as they would have been reapportioned, and, they shall not be employed by the County in any other capacity. No more than 3 of the members shall be affiliated with the same political party. It shall be the duty of the redistricting committee to submit to the county government a report, which shall set forth the boundaries of each councilmanic district, which shall coincide with the boundaries of a respective representative district, and shall assign to each a number from 1 to 5, and a map thereof. The report shall be in the form of a proposed ordinance. Once filed with the Clerk of the county government, the report shall be treated as an ordinance introduced by a member of the county government, to be considered by them as other proposed ordinances, provided that a map and a description of the proposed districts shall be published in addition to the other requirements of publication connected with enacting ordinances.

(2) The county government shall adopt a redistricting ordinance within 60 days after the report of the redistricting commission has been filed with the Clerk of the county government.

(w) Election of county government officials.

(1) In order to stagger the terms of the elected officials, councilmanic districts shall be divided into 2 categories: the first category shall consist of Districts 1, 2, and 3, and the second category shall consist of Districts 4 and 5.

(2) Such officials from Districts 1, 2, and 3 shall be elected in the general election held the first Tuesday, in November, 1972, for terms of 4 years each. Subsequently, the officials from these Districts shall be elected every 4 years to serve 4-year terms.

(3) Such officials from Districts 4 and 5 shall be elected in the general election held the first Tuesday in November, 1974, for terms of 4 years. Subsequently, the officials from these Districts shall be elected every 4 years to serve 4-year terms.

(4) All citizens qualified by the Constitution and laws of the State of Delaware to vote in the County and who satisfy the requirements for registration prescribed by law shall be qualified to vote for members of the county government.

(5) Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, the provisions of the election laws of this State shall apply to elections held under this chapter. All elections provided for by this chapter shall be conducted by the election authorities authorized to hold elections under the election laws of this State.

(6) The nomination of persons to be candidates in the general elections for county officials shall be governed by the election laws of this State.