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How can we expand voting access in Delaware (Part 2)?

The 2020 presidential election was the most unusual election in recent memory for a variety of reasons, one of which was due to the logistics of voting during a pandemic. Most polling places could not accommodate voters indoors with adequate social distancing, and voting machines had to be sanitized after each voter used the touch screen to make their choices. If alternatives were not implemented, there would have been long lines at polling places all over our state, and voter turnout would have dropped as people were disenfranchised by the challenging, time-consuming, and dangerous process of in-person voting this year.

Thankfully, the legislature in Delaware introduced and passed House Bill 346, which allowed all registered voters in Delaware to apply for mail-in ballots for the November 2020 election. As a result, many Delawareans voted by mail for the first time, choosing to exercise their right from the safety of their home and reducing the strain on in-person polling locations on Election Day; nearly 32% of votes in the presidential race were submitted through the mail, compared to only 5.6% in the 2016 presidential election. In addition, there was a 7% increase in voter turnout in the 2020 election which can at least in part be attributed to expanding access to vote-by-mail.

This election served as an impromptu test case in expanding access to vote-by-mail, and legislators are capitalizing on its success. Representative David Bentz has introduced House Bill 75, which seeks to amend the Delaware constitution to allow the legislature to change the rules surrounding absentee voting eligibility. This new bill would allow anyone to apply for an absentee ballot without an excuse, whereas the current law requires a voter to have a valid excuse. The bill made it out of the 1st Chamber Committee last week. In Delaware, it is required that identical bills pass in two consecutive legislative sessions for an amendment to the state constitution to be adopted; HB 75 is the second bill in the sequence.

Representative Dorsey Walker recently introduced another bill which would expand access to voting and increase voter turnout. House Bill 25 seeks to allow same-day voter registration at polling places on Election Day. The prospective voter would submit their application, a valid ID and proof of address at their designated polling place and be allowed to vote the same day. This would not only allow more people to register to vote, but would help correct the problem of wrongful voter purges, which result in people not being allowed to vote because they’ve been removed from the voting rolls without their knowledge. The existing law requires voters register by the fourth Saturday prior to Election Day.

Both of these bills need support in order to pass the general assembly. Contact your state legislators and let them know you support HB 75 and HB 25, as well as other ways of expanding voter access. Getting these bills passed will get us one step closer to truly free and fair elections in Delaware.



General reading about voting access:

How can we expand voting access in Delaware?


What are voter purges, and how do they impact elections?


Delaware Online - How legislation could increase the number of people who vote in Delaware


League of Women Voters - Expanding Voter Access


The Brennan Center - Ensure Every American Can Vote


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