Delaware Voting Rights Coalition Statement on Legal Challenge to Permanent Absentee Voting

Permanent absentee voting laws are a vital part of making elections accessible to all eligible voters. For those with disabilities, uniformed service members stationed abroad, and other eligible citizens, these laws are integral to making sure our democracy is representative of the people, even if they cannot physically be at the polls.

The recent lawsuit initiated by Senator Hocker to challenge permanent absentee voting in Delaware is yet another disappointing attempt at voter suppression. However, at this time, permanent absentee voting remains unchanged in Delaware and there will be no changes to the primary election on September 15. Permanent absentee voters can rest assured that their ballots will be counted in the primary, regardless of the outcome of the lawsuit.

For the general election, the Delaware Department of Elections encourages anyone on the permanent absentee list to request an absentee ballot by October 30, 2026. This will guarantee that you will be able to cast your ballot in the November general election, regardless of how the lawsuit develops.

For up-to-date information about all deadlines unaffected by this lawsuit, as well as comprehensive voter and election information, we urge Delawareans to visit votedelaware.org.