State readies for early voting in 2022

The Delaware Department of Elections is getting ready for early voting under a new law starting this year.

Speaking to the Joint Finance Committee Feb. 8, Department of Elections Commissioner Anthony Albence said more voting machines and some permanent voting locations will create a more efficient setup.

In Sussex County, he said, Seaford and Georgetown will have dedicated early voting locations.

“It’s going to give us a lot more flexibility in Sussex County to meet the growth,” he said.

House Bill 38, passed by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. John Carney in 2019, established early, in-person voting for Delaware starting in 2022. The law allows registered voters to cast their ballots at least 10 days before an election – up to and including the Saturday and Sunday immediately before the election at locations determined by the state election commissioner.

Albence said there will be five voting locations in Sussex County tied to population centers. In addition to the permanent locations, he said, other locations will be leased.

The department is working with security experts to provide internal and external security for the voting sites, he said.

Enhanced technology tools will also help ensure that residents only vote once, he said.

For example, Albence said, if someone had already voted by absentee ballot, and then tried to vote in person, poll workers would be able to see that.

“We would see a record that they voted, and their ballot would be canceled,” he said.

Even if they received an absentee ballot but hadn’t voted with it, Albence said, election workers would be able to see that they received an absentee ballot if that person shows up at the polls and tries to vote in person.