July 23, 2020— Due to concerns about the safety of in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic, the Delaware General Assembly has passed legislation authorizing mail-in voting for the 2020 statewide elections. Below are key points that Delaware voters need to know to cast their ballots.
Delaware 2020 Election Dates
•State primary elections: September 15
•General election: November 3
Voter Registration Deadlines
• For the state primary election:August 22
•For the general election: October 10
Voter Registration Options
• Delaware’s Online Registration System
•At a mobile registration event
•By mail
•In person at certain government offices
Voting Options Mail-in ballot
•The Department of Elections will send out mail-in ballot request forms 60 days ahead of the election to all eligible voters. Voters should complete the form and return it by mail, e-mail, or fax. They will then receive their ballot in the mail and should complete the ballot, sign the back of the return envelope provided, and return it to the Department of Elections using the stamped return envelope provided.
Voters may also use a secure drop box at their county Department of Elections office instead of the U.S. mail.
•Ballots must arrive at the Department of Elections by 8 pm on election day to be counted.
•Voters can view the status of their ballot online by going to ivote.de.gov.
.In-person voting—still an option
•Most polling places will be open and a list of open polling places can be found at the websites listed under Additional Resources.
•The Department of Elections needs 4,000 poll workers and invites interested individuals to apply online at https://elections.delaware.gov/information/electionofficers.shtml. Poll workers will be paid for their service.
•When using Delaware’s new voting machines, individual voters should always verify that the printed ballot reflects their intended choice(s) before finalizing their vote. This is an important security measure when any automated ballot-marking device is used.
Additional resources VOTE411.org from the League of Women Voters has candidate profiles, sample ballots, and the latest election information. Polling places for all three counties will be available at https://elections.delaware.gov/maps/index.shtml
