As Democrats, we see voting as a patriotic right, not an act that requires citizens to face undue hardship to accomplish. When considering the COVID-19 pandemic, mail-in voting offers a safe, secure and un-burdensome alternative to in-person voting. For example, states such as Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Washington have been proactively providing mail-in ballots to all registered voters securely for years.
In Delaware, House Bill 346 was passed by our Legislature and signed by Gov. Carney implementing the VBM capability through Jan. 12, 2021. Each registered voter in the state who has no absentee ballot request on file will be mailed an application to request a VBM ballot. County election offices will begin mailing out VBM ballots 30 days prior to an election for which you have requested a ballot.
At the same time, all voters will be able to vote in person, if they choose. In the 20th Representative District, all 10 of our polling locations will be open for both the Sept. 15 state primary election and the Nov. 8 General Election.
Very simply, VBM provides registered voters in our state the option of being able to fill out their ballot safely from their homes and at their leisure. This option is especially critical for our family members and friends at high risk for catching COVID-19 or essential workers on the front lines during this pandemic. Ballots can be returned by mail or dropped off in a secure drop box at our Department of Elections Sussex County in Georgetown at 119 N. Race St. between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
This is a critical election year, and there is a lot at stake. The more people who participate in the voting process, the better it is for our democracy.
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