Delaware Voting Rights Coalition Launches Comprehensive Voter Guide Ahead of the May 12 School Board Elections

CONTACT:
Casira Copes, ACLU of Delaware
[email protected]

Jill Itzkowitz, League of Women Voters
[email protected]

For the fifth year, the Delaware Voting Rights Coalition (DVRC) is organizing a public education campaign to inform Delaware voters about the upcoming 2026 School Board Elections on Tuesday, May 12. The campaign centers around the re-launch of the comprehensive voter guide, “How to Vote in Delaware’s School Board Elections,” and features information on the races, the available voting options, and links to all the resources voters may need for additional election information. Voters can access print and digital versions of the school board voter guide, available in both English and Spanish, and downloadable voter information graphics to share on social media

The comprehensive voter guide features information on where, when, and how to vote this May. It includes links for easy navigation to voter information websites like VoteDelaware.org, ACLU of Delaware’s voter education website, and Vote411.org, the League of Women Voters’ voter education website. These sites feature candidate questionnaires and information on events like school board candidate forums, allowing voters to learn more about the candidates running in their school districts and their positions on key issues.

“School board elections continue to suffer from extremely low turnout,” said Jill Itzkowitz of the League of Women Voters. “Low voter participation makes school board elections vulnerable to policies that harm students and overlook the real needs of communities and students. That’s why the DVRC wants to make it easy for voters to access the information they need to cast an informed ballot.”

“Language should never be a barrier to participation in our democratic process,” said Charito Calvachi-Mateyko, founder of the Votamos, We Vote Coalition. “Spanish-speaking Delawareans are an integral part of our schools, our communities, and our state. Ensuring that our voter guides continue to be available in Spanish is an important step toward breaking down barriers to the ballot box for historically marginalized voters.”

Andrew Bernstein, Civic Engagement Counsel at the ACLU of Delaware, added, “During a midterm election year, it's easy for local elections — like school board races — to be overshadowed. But the truth is, all democracy is local. From determining what books are available in school libraries to addressing historical funding gaps, voting in your school board election is way to send a message about your community’s values to elected officials at all levels of government.”

Similar to last year, the 2026 school board voter guide also features key information about voter accessibility, an important legislative and voter education priority for DVRC. “People with disabilities continue to face some of the greatest barriers to participating in our elections,” said Nina Kegelman, Voting Rights Advocate with the Disability Rights Delaware at Community Legal Aid Society, Inc (CLASI). “As attacks on accessible voting continue to escalate, our coalition remains committed to ensuring that voters with disabilities know their rights and are able to exercise their right to vote without unnecessary hardship.”

With the school board elections one month away, DVRC encourages all voters to visit bit.ly/schoolboard2026 and plan to vote on Tuesday, May 12.

The Delaware Voting Rights Coalition (DVRC) is Delaware's first statewide coalition of voting rights organizations and advocates. DVRC is focused on reforms that will improve access to voting, public education, and voter engagement.