DELAWARE
ONE STAR
A brief analysis of policy and process changes made to the vote at home system in 2021 and recommendations moving forward.
DELAWARE
ONE STAR
A brief analysis of policy and process changes made to the vote at home system in 2021 and recommendations moving forward.
WHERE DELAWARE STANDS
Our five-star system ranks states from one star (very restricted vote at home options) to five star (full vote at home options). It's a quick and easy way for voters, election officials and policy makers to see how their state's voting system measures up to others around the country.
WHERE DELAWARE STANDS
Our five-star system ranks states from one star (very restricted vote at home options) to five star (full vote at home options). It's a quick and easy way for voters, election officials and policy makers to see how their state's voting system measures up to others around the country.
NOV. 2020 RANKING
✔️ No excuse required (TEMPORARY)
❌ Permanent absentee voting list (RESTRICTED)
❌ Data integrity & security features
✔️ ERIC Member
❌ Automatic Voter Registration
❌ Risk Limiting Audits
❌ Same Day Voter Registration
✔️ Online access
✔️ Voter registration
✔️ Absentee ballot application
❌ Robust ballot return options
✔️ Drop Boxes (TEMPORARY)
❌ Polling place drop off
✔️ BOE drop off
❌ Voting centers
✔️ Early voting (PENDING)
✔️ Prepaid postage
❌ Postmark acceptance
✔️ Ballot Tracking (NOT IDEAL)
❌ Signature verification
❌ Cure process
✔️ Preprocessing (TEMPORARY)
JUNE 2021 RANKING
❌ No excuse required
❌ Permanent absentee voting list (RESTRICTED)
❌ Data integrity & security features
✔️ ERIC Member
✔️ Automatic Voter Registration (PENDING)
❌ Risk Limiting Audits
❌ Same Day Voter Registration
✔️ Online access
✔️ Voter registration
✔️ Absentee ballot application
❌ Robust ballot return options
❌ Drop Boxes
❌ Polling place drop off
✔️ BOE drop off
❌ Voting centers
✔️ Early voting (PENDING)
✔️ Prepaid postage
❌ Postmark acceptance
✔️ Ballot Tracking (NOT IDEAL)
❌ Signature verification
❌ Cure process
❌ Preprocessing
NOV. 2020 RANKING
✔️ No excuse required (TEMPORARY)
❌ Permanent absentee voting list (RESTRICTED)
❌ Data integrity & security features
✔️ ERIC Member
❌ Automatic Voter Registration
❌ Risk Limiting Audits
❌ Same Day Voter Registration
✔️ Online access
✔️ Voter registration
✔️ Absentee ballot request
❌ Robust ballot return options
✔️ Drop Boxes (TEMPORARY)
❌ Polling place drop off
✔️ BOE drop off
❌ Voting centers
✔️ Early voting (PENDING)
✔️ Prepaid postage
❌ Postmark acceptance
✔️ Ballot Tracking (NOT IDEAL)
❌ Signature verification
❌ Cure process
✔️ Preprocessing (TEMPORARY)
JUNE 2021 RANKING
❌ No excuse required
❌ Permanent absentee voting list (RESTRICTED)
❌ Data integrity & security features
✔️ ERIC Member
✔️ Automatic Voter Registration (PENDING)
❌ Risk Limiting Audits
❌ Same Day Voter Registration
✔️ Online access
✔️ Voter registration
✔️ Absentee ballot application
❌ Robust ballot return options
❌ Drop Boxes
❌ Polling place drop off
✔️ BOE drop off
❌ Voting centers
✔️ Early voting (PENDING)
✔️ Prepaid postage
❌ Postmark acceptance
✔️ Ballot Tracking (NOT IDEAL)
❌ Signature verification
❌ Cure process
❌ Preprocessing
OPPORTUNITIES
No Excuse Absentee
Delaware should continue their enormous progress in expanding mail voting, despite constitutional barriers. By passing a second leg amendment, Delaware can give their citizens the opportunity to vote in whichever manner they find safest and most convenient.
Processing Deadlines
Delaware’s expansion of pre-processing time for ballots from 4 days to 30 days gave the State the edge it needed to deliver results in a much timelier manner after the election than many other states. In order to maintain this track record and allow citizens to learn the results of their elections as quickly as possible, Delaware should make these timelines permanent.
Increased Options For Ballot Return
Delaware implemented drop boxes at county offices as a result of the pandemic; however, the State should make these return options permanent fixtures for all future elections. We also recommend allowing for ballots to be received at polling or vote centers, drop boxes, and other locations deemed necessary by the clerk.
Signature Verification
As use of absentee ballots increases, it is important to make sure that the ballots received are being filled out by the individuals they were sent to. Signature verification procedures ensure the security of the election process while also streamlining ballot processing.
Data Integrity
Considering its status as one of the few states that does not audit its election results at all, Delaware has a great opportunity to start directly with the gold standard of post-election security by implementing risk limiting audits. Delaware’s data infrastructure would be further improved by implementing same-day voter registration.
Ballot Tracking & Voter Notification
Ballot tracking software such as Ballot Scout or Ballot TRACE can be a very cost effective tool to improve Delaware's current ballot tracking. An expanded notification system helps keep rejection rates low and increases voter confidence and participation.
Cure Process
In the event that a voter’s ballot is rejected, said voter should have the ability to cure their ballot quickly and simply. We recommend implementing a Text2Cure system that allows voters to cure their ballots from their phones. Delaware can implement this system in conjunction with improvements to its ballot tracking system.
Election Day Postmark
Accepting ballots with Election Day postmarks is a best practice to ensure that voters are given all options to vote their ballot in a timely manner. Current law allows for ballots to be requested up to 3 days before the election, and that is most likely too short of a timespan for a ballot to be mailed and then be returned by mail by close of polls. Accepting Election Day postmarks is estimated in most jurisdictions to decrease ballot rejection rates by half.
Permanent Absentee List
Delaware can reduce costs and increase voter convenience by expanding its permanent absentee voting list, which allows voters to sign up to automatically be sent an absentee ballot for each election without having to re-apply. Expanding Delaware’s permanent absentee option to all residents would save the state significant expenses by cutting down on the requests it needs to process.
OPPORTUNITIES
No Excuse Absentee
Delaware should continue their enormous progress in expanding mail voting, despite constitutional barriers. By passing a second leg amendment, Delaware can give their citizens the opportunity to vote in whichever manner they find safest and most convenient.
Processing Deadlines
Delaware’s expansion of pre-processing time for ballots from 4 days to 30 days gave the State the edge it needed to deliver results in a much timelier manner after the election than many other states. In order to maintain this track record and allow citizens to learn the results of their elections as quickly as possible, Delaware should make these timelines permanent.
Increased Options for Ballot Return
Delaware implemented drop boxes at county offices as a result of the pandemic; however, the State should make these return options permanent fixtures for all future elections. We also recommend allowing for ballots to be received at polling or vote centers, drop boxes, and other locations deemed necessary by the clerk.
Signature Verification
As use of absentee ballots increases, it is important to make sure that the ballots received are being filled out by the individuals they were sent to. Signature verification procedures ensure the security of the election process while also streamlining ballot processing.
Data Integrity
Considering its status as one of the few states that does not audit its election results at all, Delaware has a great opportunity to start directly with the gold standard of post-election security by implementing risk limiting audits. Delaware’s data infrastructure would be further improved by implementing same-day voter registration.
Ballot Tracking & Voter Notification
Ballot tracking software such as Ballot Scout or Ballot TRACE can be a very cost effective tool to improve Delaware's current ballot tracking. An expanded notification system helps keep rejection rates low and increases voter confidence and participation.
Cure Process
In the event that a voter’s ballot is rejected, said voter should have the ability to cure their ballot quickly and simply. We recommend implementing a Text2Cure system that allows voters to cure their ballots from their phones. Delaware can implement this system in conjunction with improvements to its ballot tracking system.
Election Day Postmark
Accepting ballots with Election Day postmarks is a best practice to ensure that voters are given all options to vote their ballot in a timely manner. Current law allows for ballots to be requested up to 3 days before the election, and that is most likely too short of a timespan for a ballot to be mailed and then be returned by mail by close of polls. Accepting Election Day postmarks is estimated in most jurisdictions to decrease ballot rejection rates by half.
Permanent Absentee List
Delaware can reduce costs and increase voter convenience by expanding its permanent absentee voting list, which allows voters to sign up to automatically be sent an absentee ballot for each election without having to re-apply. Expanding Delaware’s permanent absentee option to all residents would save the state significant expenses by cutting down on the requests it needs to process.
RECENT LEGISLATION IN DELAWARE
As of June 5, 2021
Delaware started 2020 in a tough position, given its Constitution’s strict provisions on who can qualify to vote absentee. To give Delawareans a safe option, HB 346 temporarily created a new type of ballot, “mail ballots”, which allowed any citizen to vote by mail in 2020, as well as other adjustments, like providing prepaid postage and extending preprocessing to ensure timely results. In response to the pandemic, the state also sent all voters applications to receive these mail ballots.
In 2021, Delaware should permanently dismantle these barriers to no-excuse absentee voting in 2021; the State is already halfway there after passing HB 73, the first leg of a constitutional amendment to allow no-excuse absentee voting. By passing the second leg of an amendment in its current session, Delaware can codify this practice. The state has already made some great improvements, passing SB 5 to implement automatic voter registration.
RECENT LEGISLATION IN DELAWARE
As of June 5, 2021
Delaware started 2020 in a tough position, given its Constitution’s strict provisions on who can qualify to vote absentee. To give Delawareans a safe option, HB 346 temporarily created a new type of ballot, “mail ballots”, which allowed any citizen to vote by mail in 2020, as well as other adjustments, like providing prepaid postage and extending preprocessing to ensure timely results. In response to the pandemic, the state also sent all voters applications to receive these mail ballots.
In 2021, Delaware should permanently dismantle these barriers to no-excuse absentee voting in 2021; the State is already halfway there after passing HB 73, the first leg of a constitutional amendment to allow no-excuse absentee voting. By passing the second leg of an amendment in its current session, Delaware can codify this practice. The state has already made some great improvements, passing SB 5 to implement automatic voter registration.
DELAWARE'S LEGISLATIVE DATES
Session begins: January 12, 2021
Session ends: June 30, 2021
DLEAWARE'S LEGISLATIVE DATES
Session begins: January 12, 2021
Session ends: June 30, 2021
OUR CONCLUSION
In summary, Delaware has opportunities in several issue areas to codify temporary 2020 policies and implement voter-centric reforms. The State can continue to strengthen its election system by making no-excuse absentee voting, drop boxes, and extended ballot processing time permanent. Additionally, we suggest adding signature verification and risk-limiting audits to improve the security of the election process and improving ballot tracking and adding a cure process to decrease rejection rates and increase voter confidence.
As always, while policy is important, effective implementation is just as important; we at the National Vote at Home Institute stand ready to help design and actualize these policies and processes. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute our expertise.
OUR CONCLUSION
In summary, Delaware has opportunities in several issue areas to codify temporary 2020 policies and implement voter-centric reforms. The State can continue to strengthen its election system by making no-excuse absentee voting, drop boxes, and extended ballot processing time permanent. Additionally, we suggest adding signature verification and risk-limiting audits to improve the security of the election process and improving ballot tracking and adding a cure process to decrease rejection rates and increase voter confidence.
As always, while policy is important, effective implementation is just as important; we at the National Vote at Home Institute stand ready to help design and actualize these policies and processes. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute our expertise.
With the November 2 election around the corner, election officials in Cumberland County, PA are ... boosting voter confidence with tips for a hassle-free #VoteAtHome experience. Check it out here 🗳️ https://www.pennlive.com/news/2021/10/cumberland-county-reminds-voters-to-place-correct-postage-on-mail-in-absentee-ballots.html