Voting should be as easy as possible. In an age in which technology has redefined what it means to make civic engagement accessible, it is time for Delaware to take the necessary steps to bring voter registration into the 21st century.
Limiting the window of time in which voters can register via arbitrary voter registration deadlines is one of the most common and overlooked forms of voter suppression. Voter registration deadlines actively disenfranchise communities of color, low-income voters, those who are new to the voting process or recently received citizenship, and voters who move frequently—particularly young voters.
Same-day voter registration is as easy as it sounds. Voters can securely register to vote and cast their ballot on the same day.
Delaware currently makes voters register 25 days before an election, one of the longest deadlines allowed by federal law. With frequent advancements in voting technologies, arguments that justify unreasonable deadlines like Delaware’s don’t hold up. Developments in voting technologies like election forensics, open source election software, and electronic poll books, offer the potential for breaking down barriers to the ballot — all while ensuring the integrity of our elections. Meanwhile, there is simply no substantiated evidence to suggest that arbitrary voter registration deadlines make our elections more secure.
Implementing same-day voter registration (SDR) is one step Delaware can take to modernize our voter registration system while removing unnecessary barriers to voting. Same-day registration eliminates the need for advance registration by permitting an eligible voter to register and cast a ballot at the same time on Election Day or during an early voting period.
SDR has not only proven to increase voter turnout by 7-10 percent; it also requires little to no additional cost to implement while saving state resources that would otherwise go toward providing and counting provisional ballots. Simply put, same-day registration is one of the most impactful ways to increase participation in our democracy.
For an example of SDR in practice, we can look to our neighbors in Maryland. 26,300 Maryland voters registered during early voting and on Election Day in 2020. If Delaware implements same-day registration, estimates predict that we could expand voter turnout by over 22,000 people. Moreover, we would not be alone. By passing SDR, Delaware would join 21 states plus the District of Columbia in offering SDR for the 2022 elections.
It’s simple. If the goal is encouraging Delaware voters to participate in upholding the cornerstone of our democracy, then same-day registration only works to help us achieve this. No voice should go unheard because someone who wants to participate in our democracy missed an arbitrary deadline.
We need your help in ensuring that all Delaware voters who wish to participate in the 2022 elections have the opportunity to do so. House Bill 25, the SDR bill sponsored by Representative Sherry Dorsey Walker, will soon make its way to the House floor. HB 25 would allow voters to register through Election Day for presidential primary, primary, special, and general elections.
It is in the best interest of all Delaware voters that the General Assembly votes to pass HB 25.
Add your name to support HB 25
When our policies infringe on the right of any person to participate in our elections, especially historically disenfranchised and marginalized voters, it debases the very foundation of the democracy we pride ourselves in. By reminding our elected officials that democracy cannot exist without the participation of all voters, we can ensure that Delaware preserves the accessibility and inclusivity that only strengthens our country and our democracy.
It’s time to stand with Delaware voters and support HB 25. Learn more about the Delaware Voting Rights Coalition and our effort to pass HB 25 by visiting aclu-de.org/dvrc.
