Delaware | Voting Guide

Registration Deadlines and Election Dates
Voter Registration Deadline:Received or postmarked 24 days prior to Election Day.
2020
Statewide Primary Election Registration Deadline: August 22
Statewide Primary Election: September 15
General Election Registration Deadline: October 10
General Election: November 3

Official Election Websites
More election information at https://elections.delaware.gov/index.shtml
Online voter registration available at https://ivote.de.gov/VoterView/registrant/newregistrant
Mail-in registration form available at https://elections.delaware.gov/pubs/stateform.pdf

Register at School or Home
Students have a choice about where to register to vote.
Students attending college may register at their campus address or choose to remain registered or register at their permanent or home address.
You may only be registered and vote in one location.

What Type of ID Do I Need to Register?
Delaware’s voter registration form asks for your Delaware driver’s license or ID number, or the last four digits of your Social Security Number. Be sure to provide one of these numbers if you have it.

What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?
Voters will be asked to show ID when checking in to vote, but they may sign an affirmation of identity if they do not have accepted proof of identity.
Acceptable IDs together must show the identity and address of the voter and includes:
Delaware driver's license or State ID
U. S. passport
Signed polling place or Social Security card
Signed vehicle registration
Signed credit card with photo
A similar document that identifies the person by photo or signature

Where Do I Vote?
Make a plan. Check your voter registration and absentee ballot status, look up your voting site and hours at: ivote.de.gov/voterpoll.aspx

How Can I Vote?
2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Delaware voters are eligible to vote by absentee ballot. All eligible Delaware voters will be mailed an absentee ballot application.
Applications must be received by your local department of elections by October 30, but the Department of Elections recommends that applications be received no later than one week before Election Day (October 27).
By Mail
You can request an absentee ballot online at https://ivote.de.gov/VoterView. You can also print an absentee ballot request form at https://elections.delaware.gov/pubs/pdfs/absentee_ballot_application.pdf.
Delaware requires voters to meet one of the following excuses to vote absentee:
The voter is in public service for the United States or State of Delaware, or the spouse or dependent of such voter (applies to Uniformed Service members).
The voter cannot vote in person due to the nature of his or her business or occupation. Applies to:
Persons providing care to a parent, spouse, or child who is living at home and requires constant care
Students
Incarcerated persons who are eligible to vote
The voter will be absent from the district while on vacation
The voter will be unable to go to the polls on Election Day due to the tenets or teachings of his or her religion
Unable to go the polls on Election Day due to sickness or temporary or permanent disability
Your application must be received no later than four days before Election Day. Completed absentee ballots must be returned to your county Department of Elections by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Completed absentee ballots can also be returned to a secure ballot box. Find more information regarding voting by mail and secure ballot box locations at https://elections.delaware.gov/services/voter/votebymail/index.shtml.
Early In Person
Voters who qualify to vote absentee also qualify to vote in person at their county’s Department of Elections office until noon the day before Election Day. Contact your county’s office to learn when ballots become available and what hours it will be conducting in-person early voting.
Beginning on January 1, 2022, anyone will be able to vote early up to 10 days before Election Day.
Election Day
Voting sites will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. If you are in line by the closing time, then you have a right to vote.

Common Questions/Concerns
Registering to Vote Does Not Affect Your:
Federal Financial Aid
Where you register to vote will not affect federal financial aid such as Pell Grants, Perkins or Stafford loans, or your dependency status for FAFSA
Status as a Dependent on Your Parents’ Taxes
Being registered to vote at a different address from your parents does not prevent them from claiming you as a dependent on their taxes
Tuition Status
Being deemed out-of-state for tuition purposes does not prevent you from choosing to register to vote in your campus community
Will registering to vote in Delaware affect my driver’s license or car registration?
As a full-time student in Delaware, you may have to make these changes regardless of whether you vote in Delaware. For more information, you may wish to contact the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles.
Fair Elections Center and Campus Vote Project intend the information contained herein to be used only as a general guide. This document should not be used as a substitute for consultation with a licensed Delaware legal professional.
Last updated September 2020