Voter Registration


What do I need to know?

  • You must be registered to vote in General, Primary and Special Elections.
  • You do not have to be registered to vote in school elections.
  • You can pick a political party affiliation when you register.
  • If you do not pick a political party, you will be registered as: No Party.
  • You must register as a Democrat or Republican to vote in a primary. Democrats vote for Democrats and Republicans for Republicans.
  • Changes of address with the Post Office do not update your voter registration.
  • You must vote at the polling place for the address for your home on Election Day.

What are the qualifications?

You may register to vote in Delaware if you:

  • Are a citizen of the United States; AND
  • Are a resident of Delaware (Delaware is your home); AND
  • Will be 18 years old on or before the date of the next General Election.


You may not register to vote in Delaware if you:

  • Have been adjudged mentally incompetent. Adjudged mentally incompetent refers to a specific finding in a judicial guardianship or equivalent proceeding, based on clear and convincing evidence that the individual has a severe cognitive impairment which precludes exercise of basic voting judgment; OR
  • Were convicted of a felony and have not fully discharged your sentence*; OR
  • Were convicted of a disqualifying** felony and have not been pardoned.

    * Payment of any fees, fines, costs, or restitution which a felony offender may be required to pay as part of the criminal sanctions imposed on such offender is NOT considered in determining discharge of sentence for purposes of eligibility to register to vote.

    ** List of Disqualifying Felonies:
    • Murder or manslaughter, (except vehicular homicide);
    • Any felony constituting an offense against public administration involving bribery or improper influence or abuse of office, or any like offense under the laws of any state or local jurisdiction, or of the United States, or of the District of Columbia; or
    • Any felony constituting a sexual offense, or any like offense under the laws of any state or local jurisdiction or of the United States or of the District of Columbia.

NOTE: If you are 16 or older and obtaining a driver's license at the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), you will be provided the opportunity to register to vote. You will be eligible to vote if you will be 18 years old on or before the date of the next General Election.

Can a person convicted of a felony register to vote?

  • See qualifications above.
  • NOTE: If you have been convicted of a non-disqualifying felony and have completed your sentence, you must register to vote, even if you were previously registered to vote prior to your felony conviction.
  • Call the Office of the State Election Commissioner at (302) 739-4277 if you have questions about your eligibility

Can I register to vote if I don't have a fixed address?

  • Yes. If you don't have a fixed residence or are homeless and otherwise qualified to vote in Delaware, you may register by completing the proper registration form. If registering in-person you must provide two pieces of identification containing your name. Additionally, one of the pieces must include the address that you listed on the application. The address can be a shelter, agency or another location where you receive your mail.

How do I register to vote or update my record?

By mail

At certain government offices

  • At any of the Department's Offices.
  • At Division of Motor Vehicle offices when applying for, renewing or updating a Driver's License or State ID Card.
  • At State Service Centers (Department of Health and Social Services) when applying for services.
  • At the Department of Labor: Division of Training and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.
  • At WIC Program offices when applying for services or assistance.
  • At Armed Forces Recruitment Offices when applying for services.
  • At some Social Security offices.
  • At institutions of higher education when you register for classes.

When can I register to vote?

  • The voter registration deadline is the 4th Saturday before a Primary and General Election. Voter registration applications submitted via the voter portal, ivote.de.gov, by the deadline, or received by mail by the Department and postmarked by the deadline, will be considered to be submitted by the deadline.

When can I update my record?

  • Anytime before an election.
  • At your polling place on Election Day.

When can I change my political party affiliation?

  • Before a Primary Election: anytime except from the last Saturday in May through the date of the Primary.
  • Before a Presidential Primary: anytime except from the 59th day before the Presidential Primary through the date of the election.
  • If you were automatically registered to vote at DMV through the Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) process, you may choose a political party through the day of the first primary election following your automatic voter registration at DMV in order to vote in that primary election. AVR voters who do not choose a party by that first primary election after AVR will be registered as "No Party" voters and then eligible to change their party affiliation during the standard party change periods designated in the Delaware Code.

When are the deadlines?

What are my responsibilities?

  • To register to vote.
  • To keep your voter registration information current.
  • To change your political party affiliation before the deadline.

How do I cancel my voter registration?

How do I cancel a close relative's voter registration who has moved out of state or passed away?