By: Kristen Daley, Student, University of Delaware
In February, a Superior Court ruling that early in-person and permanent absentee voting was unconstitutional left Delaware’s voters in a precarious position, despite these methods being heavily relied on by tens of thousands of Delaware voters. During that time, I worked as a volunteer for a Delaware campaign, calling permanent absentee voters in my area to inform them of this possible change to their voting processes. I spoke with voter after voter, listening to their concerns about the possibility of their method of voting being overturned.
Thankfully, in June, the Delaware Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit due to lack of standing by the plaintiffs, allowing for early voting and permanent absentee status for 2024 elections in the state. While this maintains access to early in-person and permanent absentee voting in 2024, it leaves open the door to future challenges to these laws. In an effort to prevent any future threats to voting rights, the ACLU-DE launched the Every Vote Counts Campaign. This multi-year effort aims to amend the Delaware State Constitution to end felony disenfranchisement, expand and protect early in-person voting and vote by mail, and implement same-day voter registration.
On Tuesday, July 30, I had the privilege of attending a volunteer training event for the campaign, organized by ACLU-DE staff near the University of Delaware. Andrew Bernstein, ACLU-DE's Cozen Voting Rights Fellow, educated attendees on Delaware’s current voting rights landscape. This included strategies to galvanize support among voters for electing representatives who would support a voting rights constitutional amendment.
Despite its reputation as a progressive state, Delaware has significant progress to make regarding voting rights. It is one of 17 states requiring voters to register more than three weeks before an election, one of 12 states that permanently disenfranchises at least some formerly incarcerated citizens, and one of 14 states without access to no-excuse absentee voting.
As someone who is only 20 years old, I have not yet had the opportunity to vote in a presidential election. I will vote in the 2024 election, not because I see it as my civic duty, but as my right. Voting allows me to shape the future of the country I will inherit, ensuring that my wishes are heard by my representatives and that our government remains responsive to its constituents.
I aim to ensure that all Delawareans can exercise this same right to vote by continuing to support the ACLU-DE with this cause.
Every Vote Counts is a people-led campaign that relies on trained volunteers and voters who select state leaders that will support a constitutional amendment.
Together, we can protect and expand voting rights in Delaware.
