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Delaware | Voting Guide
Voting Guide
Delaware
Registration Deadlines and Election Dates
Voter Registration Deadline:
4th Saturday before Election Day for primary and general elections
10 days before Election Day for special elections
2024
Primary Election registration deadline: TBD
Primary Election: TBD
General Election registration deadline: October 12
General Election: November 5
Official Election Websites
More election information at: elections.delaware.gov/index.shtml
Online voter registration available at: ivote.de.gov/VoterView/registrant/newregistrant
Mail-in PDF voter registration form available at: elections.delaware.gov/pubs/VoterRegApplication.pdf
Register at School or Home
Students have a decision about where to register to vote.
You have a right to register to vote at the address you consider the place where you live, whether that is your family's home or the place where you attend school. You should update your registration anytime this home address changes.
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.
Voters registering for the first time in Delaware and returning their registration application by mail must submit a copy of one of the following with their registration form or any time up to and including when they go to vote:
Delaware-issued driver's license or state ID card
Current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows the registrant's name and address
What Type of ID Do I Need to Vote?
Voters will be asked to show proof of identity when checking in to vote, but they may sign an affirmation of identity if they do not have acceptable proof of identity. Voters are also required to show proof of address when voting in municipal elections or casting a provisional ballot.
Delaware does not have an established list of acceptable forms of ID or proof of address. Contact your local Department of Elections office for more information about what documentation you can use to prove your identity and address.
Where Do I Vote?
Make a plan. Check your voter registration and mail ballot status, look up your voting site and hours at:
How Can I Vote?
By Mail
Delaware's new vote-by-mail law has been overturned by the Delaware Supreme Court. Absentee voting, with a qualifying reason, is still available.
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 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 to the polls on Election Day due to sickness or temporary or permanent disability;
The voter cannot vote in person due to the nature of his or her business or occupation. This includes:
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.
You can request an absentee ballot online at:
You can also print an absentee ballot request form at:
elections.delaware.gov/pubs/pdfs/absentee_ballot_application.pdf
Applications can be returned by email, fax, or mail and must be received no later than 4 days before Election Day. Voters who need to vote an absentee ballot due to disability or illness may request an electronic ballot.
Completed mail ballots must be received by your county Department of Elections by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Completed mail ballots can be returned by mail, in-person, or to a secure ballot box. More information about voting by mail and secure ballot box locations is available at:
elections.delaware.gov/services/voter/absentee/citizen.shtml.
Early In Person
Early in person voting is available to all registered voters for at least 10 days before Election Day. The last two days of early voting are the Saturday and Sunday before Election Day. Find an early voting location at: https://ivote.de.gov/VoterView
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 June 2023