Press Statement:
July 1, 2020
CONTACT:
Morgan Keller, Communications Manager, ACLU of Delaware
Email: mkeller@aclu-de.org
ACLU of Delaware Commends Vote By Mail Effort, but Asks the General Assembly for a Permanent Solution
WILMINGTON: In an effort to ensure access to the ballot through the pandemic, the 150th General Assembly passed House Bill 346, legislation that will ensure all voters can cast their ballot by mail in the upcoming 2020 elections. Today, Governor Carney signed that bill into law. The following statement is attributable to Mike Brickner, Executive Director of the ACLU of Delaware.
Governor Carney and the 150th General Assembly have worked tirelessly to safeguard the foundation of our democracy, and they presented and implemented good solutions—but they are only temporary.
“The steps that lawmakers have taken to protect voters’ access to the ballot through a year of unprecedented uncertainty were essential to ensuring free, fair, and safe elections in Delaware no matter what. Governor Carney and the 150th General Assembly have worked tirelessly to safeguard the foundation of our democracy, and they presented and implemented good solutions—but they are only temporary.
Vote by mail is a convenient and secure way to cast a ballot, and all Delaware voters deserve to have the flexibility to choose whether they want to vote by mail or in-person. 34 states already allow citizens to vote by mail without an excuse, and we look forward to partnering with the General Assembly to ensure Delaware becomes the 35th state.
Beyond this year, we must guarantee Delaware voters access to the ballot by passing a permanent vote by mail bill. We need to be proactive in developing fixed alternatives to in-person voting, because as we’ve learned this year, we don’t know what may come next.”
