New Resource: How to Vote in Delaware's 2023 School Board Elections!

Delaware's School Board Elections are on Tuesday, May 9. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. - 8 p.m.

To find your school district, use the Delaware Department of Elections search tool at bit.ly/findyourschooldistrict.

To find the polling places in your school district, visit the Delaware Department of Elections school board website at bit.ly/deschoolboardelections and click on your school district.

You can vote at any polling place location in your school district.

To vote in Delaware's School Board Election, you must be:

• A citizen of the United States and resident of the State of Delaware.
• A resident of the school district for which the election is being conducted.
• 18 years of age on or before the day of the election.

You do not have to be registered in order to vote in school board elections.

The following school districts DO NOT have a school board election.

• Brandywine
• Colonial
• Capital
• Lake Forest
• Woodbridge

The following school districts have a school board election.

• Appoquinimink (At-Large)
• Caesar Rodney (At-Large)
• Cape Henlopen (Nominating District A)
• Christina (Nominating District C, E)
• Delmar (At-Large)
• Indian River (Nominating District 2)
• Laurel (At Large)
• Milford (At-Large, Nominating District A, B)
• Red Clay (Nominating Districts A, C)
• Seaford (At-Large)
• Smyrna (At-Large)

All eligible voters living in a school district with an election are permitted to vote in all races happening within the school district - regardless of nominating district.*

*This does not include Indian River. You must live in nominating district 2 to vote in the Indian River school board elections.

Voters must show one of the following forms of ID:

• State-issued photo ID
• Utility bill
• Paycheck
• Any government document with the voter’s name and address

If you do not have one of the above forms of ID, you can sign an affidavit of affirmation that you are the person listed on the election district record.

• If the polls close while you’re still in line, stay in line – you have the right to vote.
• If you make a mistake on your ballot, ask for a new one.
• If the machines are down at your polling place, ask for a paper ballot.

Only voters who qualify under certain circumstances may vote absentee. To vote absentee, a person must be:

• In public service of the United States (U.S.) or the State of Delaware, or a citzen of the U.S. temporarily residing outside the territorial limits of the U.S. and the District of Columbia, or such person’s spouse or dependent when residing with or accompanying such person, or absent from this State because of illness or injury while serving the armed forces of the U.S.
• In the armed forces of the U.S. or the merchant marine of the US., or attached to and serving with the armed forces of the U.S. in the American Red Cross or United Service Organizations.
• Unable to vote due to the nature of their business or occupation.  This reason includes:
  • The business or occupation of providing care to a parent, spouse, or child who is living at home and requires constant care due to illness, disability, or injury;
  • Students; and
  • Otherwise eligible persons who are incarcerated.
• Sick or physically disabled (temporarily or permanently).
• Absent from the district while on vacation.
• Unable to vote at a certain time or on a certain day due to the tenets or teachings of their religion.

If you plan to vote absentee, you must request your absentee ballot, with a valid excuse, before Friday, May 5. Request your absentee ballot online at ivote.de.gov.

The Elections office in your county must receive your absentee request form at least four days before the election. Completed absentee request forms can be mailed, faxed, or emailed to the Elections office in your county. For more information on absentee voting, visit the Delaware Department of Elections website by going to bit.ly/DE-Absentee-Voting.

Note: If your absentee status in iVote is listed as "Indefinite", this means that you have requested to be a permanent absentee voter. You will automatically receive an absentee ballot for all elections for which you are eligible to vote.

Your ballot must be received by the Department of Elections office for your county by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, May 9. You can return your ballot by:

• Placing the ballot in the U.S. Mail, or
• Dropping off the ballot at the Elections office in your county.

You can vote absentee in-person at your county Department of Elections office between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on business days, or between 8:30 a.m. and noon the day before the election. You must bring ID.

Federal law requires elections to be accessible to voters with disabilities. This includes the right to:

• Vote privately and independently.
• Vote in a polling place that is accessible and free of physical barriers.
• Use an accessible voting machine.
• Assistance from a person of your choice except an employer or union representative.
• Assistance at any point as a means of accommodation.

Election Officers and poll workers must make reasonable accommodations as needed to help you vote. If you believe that your polling place is not accessible, you should contact the Department of Elections for your county before the day of the election to make other arrangements to vote.

Under federal law, voters who have difficulty reading or writing English may receive in-person assistance at the polls from the person of their choice except an employer or union representative. If you have trouble voting due to lack of English fluency, call one of these hotlines:

• Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682
• Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US / 1-844-925-5287
• Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, Vietnamese: 1-888-API-VOTE / 1-888-274-8683

Individuals with disabilities who encounter issues at their polling places or have questions can contact:

Joann Kingsley, Voting Rights Advocate, Disabilities Law Program, Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. at jkingsley@declasi.org, 800-292-7980, or 302-856-2027. 

Accessible voting machine features:

• Adjustable height for standing or seated voters.
• Connection for sip-and-puff devices.

Voters who are blind or have a visual impairment can:

• Change the screen to display larger text and high contrast.
• Use headphones to listen to ballot text.
• Black out the screen for privacy.
• Adjust the audio volume and speed.
• Use an audio-tactile keypad with Braille legends.
• Hear a read-back of their selections.

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