Absentee Voting Delaware Citizens

This page provides information to Delaware Citizens about voting by Absentee Ballot in Primary, General and Special Elections. There are pages that provide additional information for military and overseas citizen voters and college students. Topics include:

• Persons Covered
• Affidavit
• Process
• Hints About the Process
• Critical Dates and Deadlines

PERSONS COVERED

Persons registered to vote in the State of Delaware and who are eligible to vote by Absentee Ballot for one of the reasons stated on the Affidavit.

Questions about eligibility? Contact the Department of Elections for the county in which you believe that you are eligible to vote.

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AFFIDAVIT FOR ABSENTEE BALLOT

Persons eligible to vote by Absentee Ballot must submit an Affidavit requesting an Absentee Ballot. Persons may designate on the Affidavit the elections for which the Affidavit is effective. Download the appropriate Affidavit for the county in which you are registered to vote.

AFFIDAVIT FOR A PRIMARY ELECTION:

• Kent County
• New Castle County
• Sussex County

AFFIDAVIT FOR A GENERAL OR SPECIAL ELECTION:

• Kent County
• New Castle County
• Sussex County

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VOTING BY ABSENTEE BALLOT

You may vote by Absentee Ballot in-person or by mail (once Absentee Ballots are available).

IN-PERSON.

• Contact the Department of Elections for the county in which you reside to find out when Absentee Ballots will be available for a particular election and the hours for IN-PERSON Absentee Voting.
• Take proof of identity with you when you go to vote IN-PERSON.

BY MAIL.

• Complete and submit an Affidavit for an Absentee Ballot.
• If you have legally changed your name or moved to a new address, the Affidavit will be used to make those changes to your voter registration record. If you indicate a party affiliation different than the party in which you are registered, the change will be made during the next period during which changes in party affiliation are permitted.
• If the reason you are voting by Absentee Ballot is listed in Section "A", complete Column "1" and Section "A". Make sure that you sign and date the Affidavit in the space provided at the bottom of Section "A". Your signature DOES NOT need to be notarized.
• If the reason you are voting by Absentee Ballot is listed in Section "B", complete Column "1" and Section "B". Your signature MUST BE notarized. Take the Affidavit and appropriate identification to a notary and sign and date in the space provided in Section "B" in front of the notary.
• Return the Affidavit (by mail or in-person) to the Department of Elections in the county in which you are registered to vote as soon as possible before the election.
• Your Absentee Ballot will be mailed to you as soon as it is available. Absentee Ballots are available approximately 30 days prior to a Primary Election and 40 days prior to a General Election.
• IMPORTANT: If you vote for more than the allowable number of candidates for any office, your votes for that office shall not be counted. If you spoil your Absentee Ballot, contact the Department of Elections for the county in which you are registered to vote to obtain a replacement Absentee Ballot. After you mark your Absentee Ballot, carefully review it to make sure that you voted for a candidate for each office for which you want to make a selection. Residents of the City of Wilmington may vote for 3 candidates for CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE.
• As soon as possible after you receive your Absentee Ballot: Vote the Absentee Ballot, fold the Absentee Ballot and put it into the BALLOT ENVELOPE, seal the BALLOT ENVELOPE, sign the BALLOT ENVELOPE, put the BALLOT ENVELOPE into the MAILING ENVELOPE and mail the MAILING ENVELOPE containing the BALLOT ENVELOPE to the Department of Elections for the county in which you are registered to vote so that it arrives at the Department before 8 p.m. the day of the election.

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HINTS ABOUT MAKING THE PROCESS WORK

IMPORTANT: Apply early, vote and return your Absentee Ballot as soon as possible before the election.

Things you can do to make sure that your Absentee Ballot is received on time and counted:

• For the Primary and General Elections. Send a properly completed Affidavit so that it arrives at the Department of Elections for your county before August 1 in the year of a General Election. This is not a deadline. Receipt by August 1 makes sure that your Absentee Ballots for the Primary and General Elections will be mailed on the earliest possible date.
• For the Primary Election. Delaware is a CLOSED PRIMARY state. Only Democrats may vote in the Democratic Primary and only Republicans may vote in the Republican Primary. You will not receive an Absentee Ballot for the State Primary if you are registered other than as a Democrat or Republican, or if there is no primary election in which you are eligible to vote.
• Provide a phone number and e-mail address at which you can be contacted on the Affidavit. Direct communication permits the department to quickly resolve problems with your application.
• Contact the Department of Elections for your county if you do not receive your Absentee Ballot within a reasonable time. Absentee Ballots for the Primary Election will start to be mailed on the first Saturday after the first Friday in August; Absentee Ballots for the General Election will be mailed starting approximately 45 days before the General Election.
• Follow the instructions on completing and mailing your Absentee Ballot. Make sure that you seal the BALLOT ENVELOPE (the one that you sign).

Things the Departments of Elections do to make sure that your Absentee Ballots are received on time and counted:

• Mail Absentee Ballots to applicants as soon as they are available.
• Mail Absentee Ballots the same day that a properly completed Affidavit is received once Absentee Ballots are available and if there is no problem with the Affidavit.
• Attempt to contact applicants directly if there is a problem with their Affidavit.
• Pick up Absentee Ballots at the Post Office the day before the election and on election day.
• Maintain contact with the U.S. Postal Service to identify and resolve any problems.
• Closely monitor the process.

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CRITICAL DATES AND DEADLINES

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Last Updated: Wednesday, 19-Dec-2007 15:27:50 EST