Early voting begins for Delaware primary

DELAWARE- Wednesday was the first of 10 days of early voting in Delaware. Early voting sites open at 11 am and run till 7 pm for the first five days, and transition to 7 am to 7 pm for the last five days prior to an election. Election day for the Delaware primary is September 13th.

Early voting allows eligible voters to visit all sites within the state, not just their assigned polling place, for the day of the election.

“Early voting is just like voting on election day. You go into the site, show your ID, sign the roll book, and go ahead and vote on the machine,” said State of Delaware Department of Elections Community Relations Officer Cathleen Hartsky-Carter.

Sussex County has five early voting locations across the county, and their Board of Elections Director Bo McDowell tells us, that between early voting, absentee and same-day registration he thinks this year’s elections will be increasing convenience and slashing election day lines.

“Early voting alleviates pressure at the polling locations, but we did add seven locations. We tried to alleviate those lines anyway and this will help to further do that,” said McDowell.

But if you can’t make it in person, you’re still able to vote thanks to online registration and new vote-by-mail options.

“They have to fill out that application, they have to attach their ID copy on that application and send it to the board of elections. We verify the ID and information and we mail that ballot,” Hartsky- Carter said.

She tells us over 200 people used just one location in Lewes for early voting and hopes that trend continues.

She tells for anyone with questions on how to fill out mail-in, provision, absentee or any other ballots to visit this website.