ACLU DE urges Delawareans to pay close attention to voter registration ahead of Primary

DELAWARE. – The ACLU Delaware is gearing up for Delaware’s Primary Election on Tuesday, following an error that effected 750 voters.

Executive director of ACLU, Mike Brickner, said the organization was made aware of the error last week.

“Those folks have been registered through the Automatic Voter Registration system, but didn’t get that special category. It just says, ‘no party’ and people were told that they weren’t able to vote because they were not registered with a party,” Brickner said.

Because Delaware has a closed party system, aspiring voters must be registered, with a selected party, ahead of an election. But under the Automatic Voter Registration system, which was implemented in June of 2023, eligible Delaware residents are automatically registered to vote while getting a license or ID at a Delaware DMV and can declare their party at a polling location.

While the early voting error has been squared away, Brickner said the organization will be keeping a close eye on the polls.

“If they run into problems, they should contact voter advocates, like the ACLU Delaware,” Brickner said. “Contact the department of elections and make sure those problems are reported, because that’s the best way to solve those issues.”

But if you do run into a registration issue at the polls on Tuesday, Brickner urges you to advocate for your right to vote.

“If you’re in a position where the poll worker experiences some type of issue or they’re trying to turn you away from the polls, be calm, but ask to speak to the prescient manager who’s in charge of that local polling place,” Brickner said.