Press Release
Going Against National Trends, Delaware Governor signs into law Two Voting Bills that Expand Access
All Delawareans will be able to vote by mail in upcoming elections, after Gov. John Carney signed SB 320 today.
First Staters will also now be able to register to vote, or update their name or address, when they go to vote. Gov. Carney today signed HS 1 for HB 25, eliminating Delaware’s previous fourth-Saturday-before-an election-registration deadline.
Both bills became law immediately upon the Governor’s signing.
The Vote by Mail law will allow all First State voters to request a mail-in ballot, so they can vote safely from the comfort of their own homes, if they so choose. This adds another voting option for Delawareans, who can also vote at their polling place on election day or cast their ballots early at one of the early voting locations. Read testimony of Common Cause Delaware Executive Director Claire Snyder-Hall in support of the bill here.
The Same-Day Registration law will allow Delawareans to register to vote for the first time or update their registration information, when they go to the polls on Election Day. Deadlines to change party affiliation before primary elections will remain unchanged. Read more here and here.
Since the beginning of 2021, 18 states have passed 34 restrictive voting laws, which can disproportionately affect voters of color.
Statement of Common Cause Delaware Executive Director Claire Snyder-Hall
Ever since the Big Lie about the 2020 election, anti-voter extremists have been working all over the country to suppress the vote and disenfranchise Black and brown voters, young people, and those who live in cities. But today, Delaware proclaims loudly and clearly that the freedom to vote in the First State will not be restricted based on what you look like or where you live.
Delaware is leading the country, now that Governor Carney has signed vote by mail and same-day registration into law. Common Cause Delaware enthusiastically thanks him and the General Assembly for passing the bills so quickly, just in time for the 2022 elections.
As part of the Delaware Voting Rights Coalition, Common Cause Delaware has been working for years to remove barriers and expand voter access — and today, we rejoice. This is a huge step forward for voters. Every voter in Delaware will benefit from these new laws, and they help move us toward the goal of universal voter participation.
