Voting Rights Advocates Rally in Dover for the Delaware John Lewis VRA After Federal VRA Weakened

Dover, DE — Friday, advocates for effective voter protections held a rally at Legislative Hall to urge legislators to pass the Delaware John Lewis Voting Rights Act (HB 444) before the end of the current legislative session. The group of 120, comprised of Delawareans from all counties, were led by civil rights organizations including the ACLU of Delaware and the Legal Defense Fund (LDF).

This latest push for a State Voting Rights Act comes just weeks after the Supreme Court gutted what remained of the federal VRA in its Louisiana v. Callais decision, eliminating any meaningful protections against voting discrimination.

“Delaware has an extraordinary opportunity to be the first state in a post-Callais world to meet this critical moment for voting rights with decisive legislative action,” said Christina Das, LDF Policy Counsel. “Until the Delaware John Lewis Voting Rights Act is in place, Black voters are constantly at risk of being denied free and fair representation and access to the polls. That sort of fear should have been left behind decades ago, and it's high time Delaware catches up to enacting modern-day voter protections.”

HB 444 is being championed by Rep. Larry Lambert, Sen. Marie Pinkney, and Sen. Kyra Hoffner as the primary sponsors, and by Speaker of the House Melissa Minor-Brown as a co-sponsor.

If passed, the bill would protect Delaware voters from unfair voting practices, such as the increase in racially discriminatory redistricting that is now taking place across the country.

“Every elected official across the nation should make it a priority to ensure their state’s elections are not conducted in a manner that further disenfranchises the same historically marginalized communities that have long been denied equal opportunity in voting,” said Representative Larry Lambert. “As legislators, we should be looking for ways to expand voter access and reduce disparities in voter participation, not restrict and dilute the voting power of racial minorities.”

As the 2026 midterm elections draw near, protecting voters from discrimination in elections processes and preventing vote dilution are key concerns for many constituents. Public polling in 2023 found that 64% of Delawareans support a state-level VRA.

“We cannot claim membership in a representative democracy if that representation can be revoked, manipulated, or redistricted in discriminatory ways,” said Andrew Bernstein, ACLU-DE Civic Engagement Counsel. “Democratic participation in free and fair elections cannot be a partisan issue. Nine states, including New York, Connecticut, and our neighbors in Maryland and Virginia, have already codified their own state-level voting rights acts into law. It’s time for Delaware to do the same.”

Rep. Larry Lambert spoke about the danger and inconvenience created by the location of his own polling place in Claymont, Delaware. “My polling location is on Governor Printz Boulevard. It’s known as the River Club Apartments. That location has 4 total parking spots. I didn’t say 4 handicapped parking spots; I said 4 total parking spots. I have personally, with my own eyes, seen individuals speeding at 50 miles an hour, cross all four lanes of Governor Printz Boulevard to try to vote,” he said. “That could potentially be a form of discrimination.”

Learn more about the Delaware Voting Rights Act Campaign: https://www.aclu-de.org/campaigns-initiatives/vra/

Send a message to the Delaware General Assembly urging them to commit to supporting the Delaware John Lewis Voting Rights Act: https://action.aclu.org/send-message/devra