Delaware Law Article III- EXECUTIVE
Here’s a detailed overview of Delaware Constitution – Article III: Executive, covering its primary provisions:
🏛️ Article III: Executive
§ 1 – Governor as Supreme Executive
“The supreme executive powers of the State shall be vested in a Governor.”
This establishes the Governor as the head of the state’s executive branch .
§ 2 – Election of Governor
The Governor is elected by qualified voters every four years in the general election .
§ 3 – Election Returns & Ties
Election returns are sealed and sent to legislative leaders. If no candidate has the highest votes or a tie occurs, the General Assembly decides by joint ballot, with the Senate President casting a tie-breaking vote .
§ 4 – Contested Elections
Contested elections for Governor or Lieutenant Governor are resolved by a joint legislative committee, chaired by the Chief Justice (or Chancellor), with open hearings process (textbookdiscrimination.com).
§ 5 – Term of Office
Though not quoted in full text here, the Governor serves a four-year term; consecutive terms are permitted up to two in a row, with start dates and term limits defined by law .
§ 6 – Qualifications
To be Governor, one must be:
At least 30 years old,
A U.S. citizen for at least 12 years prior,
And a Delaware resident for the last 6 years (with exceptions for public service) (en.wikipedia.org).
§ 7 – Compensation
The Governor receives a salary fixed by law, which cannot change during their term .
§ 8 – Commander-in-Chief
The Governor serves as the Commander-in-Chief of Delaware’s state militia and armed forces unless they are federalized .
§ 9 – Appointment Power
The Governor appoints officials with Senate confirmation. They can make recess appointments that expire at the next Senate session .
§ 10 – Secretary of State
The Governor appoints the Secretary of State, who serves at pleasure, maintains official records, provides documents to the legislature on request, and must reside in Delaware within six months (codes.findlaw.com).
✅ Other Notable Sections (11–24)
These include provisions concerning:
County officer qualifications (§11),
State commissions (§12),
Removal powers and procedures (§13),
Annual reporting (§14–15),
Special legislative sessions (§16),
Law execution (§17),
Veto and override authority (§18),
Lieutenant Governor duties and succession (§19–20),
Elections and terms for other state/county offices (§21–24) (textbookdiscrimination.com, archives.delaware.gov, casetext.com).
🧭 Summary
Article III sets the constitutional framework for Delaware’s executive branch, defining:
Who can be Governor,
How they are elected and removed,
Their powers (appointments, veto, military command),
And the role of other executive officers.
This structure ensures checks and balances, clear accountability, and consistent succession planning.
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