Election Day 2020 could be record setting

Cape Region voters expecting to stop by and vote in a few minutes like in the past were greeted with long lines and waits as long as two hours in some locations.

Many voters were in line before polls opened, and long lines continued into the late afternoon and evening at many polling places. Voters with children were rewarded with free pizza at the Cape Henlopen High School polling place.

As House Speaker Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, looked at the long line of voters snaking around the high school, he said, “I've never seen anything like this. I'm looking for another word other than surprised to describe this.”

Schwartzkopf joined U.S. Sen. Chris Coons as polls opened at 7 a.m. to thank and greet voters. Coons planned to visit several polling places throughout the state during the day.

It’s estimated that voter turnout was more than 68 percent statewide with 507,805 voters of 739,570 who are registered voting by machine or mail-in ballot.

Coons said he never expected the turnout at Cape Henlopen High School. “This area already had a very high amount of voting by mail. This is the longest voting line I've seen here in 20 years,” Coons said. “It's so encouraging to see so many so passionate people coming out to participate in our election process.”

Coons said every race across the county has been nationalized. “It's about do you support Joe Biden or Donald Trump, and that's driving the turnout,” Coons said.

Coons, who has served in the Senate since 2010, won his race against Republican Lauren Witzke, Libertarian Nadine Frost and Delaware Independent Mark Turley.

Schwartzkopf did not have an opponent in the general election.