Delaware/Voting

Registering to Vote:

If you want to register to vote in Delaware, you must be 18 years old at or before the time to vote for the next General election and if you are a resident of Delaware. (If you are 16 years old you can pre-register to vote in the state of Delaware.)

You cannot vote if you are:

• Have been adjudged mentally incompetent. Adjudged mentally incompetent refers to a specific finding in a judicial guardianship or equivalent proceeding, based on clear and convincing evidence that the individual has a severe cognitive impairment which precludes exercise of basic voting judgment, OR
• Were convicted of a felony and have not fully discharged your sentence*, OR
• Were convicted of a disqualifying** felony and have not been pardoned.

List of Disqualifying Felonies:

• Murder or manslaughter, (except vehicular homicide);
• Any felony constituting an offense against public administration involving bribery or improper influence or abuse of office, or any like offense under the laws of any state or local jurisdiction, or of the United States, or of the District of Columbia; or
• Any felony constituting a sexual offense, or any like offense under the laws of any state or local jurisdiction or of the United States or of the District of Columbia.

You can go and register at:

• At any of the Department's Offices.
• At Division of Motor Vehicle offices when applying for, renewing or updating a Driver's License or State ID Card.
• At State Service Centers (Department of Health and Social Services) when applying for services.
• At the Department of Labor: Division of Training and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.
• At WIC Program offices when applying for services or assistance.
• At Armed Forces Recruitment Offices when applying for services.
• At some Social Security offices.
• At institutions of higher education when you register for classes.

The deadline to register is on the 4th Saturday of the Primary and General Election. You can update before any election or at your polling place. Other expectations may include.

• Before a Primary Election: anytime except from the last Saturday in May through the date of the Primary.
• Before a Presidential Primary: anytime except from the 59th day before the Presidential Primary through the date of the election.
• If you were automatically registered to vote at DMV through the Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) process, you may choose a political party through the day of the first primary election following your automatic voter registration at DMV in order to vote in that primary election. AVR voters who do not choose a party by that first primary election after AVR will be registered as “No Party” voters and then eligible to change their party affiliation during the standard party change periods designated in the Delaware Code.

If you are homeless, you do not need a fixed address to vote in upcoming elections. You must have a two-piece identification that has your name on it. One must be an address and it could be a shelter, agency or another location where you receive mail.

Absentee Ballot

• Absentee ballots will be sent starting about early March.
• Check on the status of yours with the State's Voter Portal.
• Call the Department.

You can complete an absentee ballot application by:

• Fill out an Absentee Statement (Application).
• Send the Absentee Statement (Application) to your county office at Department by mail, email or FAX.
• You can vote at your county office at the Department when it is open for Absentee Voting.

Miscellaneous

Keep in mind, Delaware is a closed primary state, meaning that you must be registered to the political party in order to vote in your primary. (i.e a registered Democrat can only vote in a Democratic Primary)