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WILMINGTON— The Delaware Voting Rights Coalition (DVRC) is increasing voter education efforts ahead of the 2023 School Board Elections on Tuesday, May 9. DVRC’s public education campaign includes a print and digital version of the school board voter guide, available in both English and Spanish, and downloadable voter information graphics for social media.
The comprehensive voter guide, “How to Vote in Delaware’s School Board Elections,” aims to make it easy for Delaware voters to learn where, when, and how to vote this May. It includes links for easy navigation to voter information websites like VoteDelaware.org, ACLU of Delaware’s voter education website; VotamosDE.org, the Votamos, We Vote Coalition’s Spanish-language voter education website; and Vote411.org/Delaware, the League of Women Voters’ voter education website. These sites feature candidate questionnaires and information on events like school board candidate forums, allowing voters to learn more about the candidates running in their school districts and their positions on key issues.
“The decisions of all locally elected officials have direct impacts on communities, and school boards are no exception,” says Helen Salita, Campaign Manager at the ACLU of Delaware. “Schools are the heart of our communities, and children are the future of our country. The state of public education is directly connected to public health, incarceration rates, employment, economic success, and more.”
Jill Itzkowitz of the League of Women Voters added, “Because of the low turnout rate for school board elections, every vote is incredibly powerful. This is why our coalition prioritizes creating tools that allow Delaware voters to make confident and informed decisions.”
This year’s guide also features key information about voter accessibility, an important legislative and voter education priority for DVRC. “Voters with disabilities have historically voted less often than some other demographic groups due to numerous barriers to voting,” said Joann Kingsley, Voting Rights Advocate with the Disabilities Law Program at Community Legal Aid Society, Inc (CLASI). “Delaware still has work to do to improve voter accessibility, despite the fact that one-in-four adults in Delaware identify as having a disability. We hope that our efforts to raise awareness about the rights and protections in place for voters with disabilities will be a step in the right direction and increase participation of Delaware voters with disabilities.”
With the school board elections less than a month away, DVRC encourages all voters to visit bit.ly/dvrcschoolboardvoterguide and make a plan to vote on Tuesday, May 9. Laurisa Schutt, Executive Director of First State Educate says: “Strong public schools mean smart, safe communities for everyone. Whether you have children in school or not, whether children attend independent schools, charter schools, or parochial schools, voting in your school board election is a simple, powerful step that affects our daily lives now, and in the future. Put courageous people in decision making seats who speak up, show up, and act together for teachers and students."
