Elections affect every area of our lives, from health care to jobs to racial justice. When we choose our leaders by voting, we’re choosing the people who will make decisions that shape the direction of our country and our communities. LWVUS

Are You Registered to Vote?

Verify your voter registration here. Take a minute to confirm that you are registered to vote in Delaware. Protect your right to vote by making sure that you are registered. That website, iVote.DE.gov, also provides you with polling locations and links for editing your registration, obtaining an absentee ballot, etc.  

Sources of Information for Delaware Voters

• The Department of Elections for New Castle County: Telephone: 302-577-3464
• The Department of Elections for Kent County: Telephone: 302-739-4498
• The Department of Elections for Sussex County: Telephone: 302-856-5367

• LWVDE publication:  This Way to the Voting Booth 2024
• Dept of Elections self-service voter portal: iVote.DE.gov
• LWV's online voter guide, Delaware section: VOTE411.org/delaware

You can also find more detailed information on sub-pages on this website (accessed via the menu) such as the "Voting Details" page, the "How to Vote" video, the "Register to Vote" page, etc.

Launched by the League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF) in October of 2006, VOTE411 is a "one-stop-shop" for election-related information. It provides nonpartisan information to the public with both general and state-specific information on all aspects of the election process.

Delaware holds general elections every two years, school board elections annually, and various municipal (city or town) elections on varying schedules.

You Must register to vote in Delaware elections, except for School Board and some municipal elections.

Delaware uses electronic voting equipment (DRE), with an automatically generated paper ballot backup. The voting machines have features (such as height adjustments for wheelchairs and an audio–tactile keypad for the vision impaired) to accommodate special needs voters.

DE Election Schedule

Statewide general elections are the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, DE party primaries are held the second Tuesday after the first Monday in September, and DE school board elections are the second Tuesday in May. In Presidential election years (every fourth year), Delaware's Presidential primary elections are held on the first Tuesday in April. Delaware polling place hours on election day are 7am to 8pm.

Municipal elections are set by the municipality, and occur at various times from January through December. Some municipalities hold annual elections and some every two years. City of Wilmington elections are held once every four years, on US Presidential election years.

Who's on Your Ballot?

Be prepared before you head out to vote! Prior to each election, sample ballots can be viewed at the Delaware Department of Elections website (elections.delaware.gov). Also, during the four to six weeks prior to any statewide election, personalized ballot information... including candidate profiles in the candidate's own words... can be found on VOTE411.

Voting Options

Delawareans can vote in person at their assigned polling place on election day, ahead of time by mail-in absentee ballot (for specific reasons), or up to ten days early in-person at specified locations in each county. Special rules and relaxed deadlines apply for overseas military personnel.

Adding additional voting options like no-excuse absentee voting (universal vote-by-mail) or same-day registration will require an amendment to Delaware's state constitution, which is an arduous process. LWVDE is supportive of the Delaware Voting Rights Coalition (DVRC)'s multiyear Every Vote Counts campaign to accomplish this.

Voter Registration

All US Citizens age 18 or older living in Delaware are eligible to vote, with a few exceptions related to felony convictions or mental incompetence. Voters need only register to vote once; this does not need to be done each year. However, voters must update their registration if they move to a new Delaware address, change their name, or wish to change their political party affiliation. Like the initial registration, updates to your DE voter registration can be made online at iVote.DE.gov, in person or by mail.

Many Delaware residents register to vote at the DMV when they get their driver's license or state ID card. You can check your registration status online at iVote.DE.gov.

Primary Elections

Primary elections are held so that the two major parties in Delaware, Republican and Democrat, can narrow down to have just one candidate each on the general election ballot. Delaware holds closed primaries; only voters registered in one of the two major parties can vote in the primary elections for that party.

Changing your party affiliation so that you can vote in a primary must be done quite early in Delaware: 60 days before a Presidential primary, or by the Friday before the last Saturday in May to vote in that year's September primary... which is more than three months ahead of time. An exception is made for voters registered automatically that year at the DMV, who may choose a political party through the day of the first primary election following their automatic voter registration.

The party switch deadline is earlier than the new voter registration deadline, which is the 4th Saturday before a primary or general election. New DE voters registering by this deadline and affiliating with one of the two major parties at the time of registration are elibible to vote in the primary election.

LWVDE supports legislative efforts to open primary elections in Delaware to unaffiliated voters.

Candidate Services

Find information about becoming a candidate for office in Delaware at the Dept of Elections Candidate Services page, including how to register to be a candidate, voter statistics, and past election reports as well as online Delaware state law resources about candidate activities and guidelines.

Working at the Polls

The Delaware Department of Elections recruits volunteers each year to work at the polls. Poll workers greet voters, verify their identity and help them to vote... and of course, hand out those coveted "I Voted" stickers afterward! Poll workers are paid a small stipend for a very long day of service, from before the polls open to after they close. But many find it a rewarding experience and an additional way to observe democracy in action. No experience is necessary; training is provided by the Department of Elections. Learn more at the Dept of Elections Working at the Polls web page.