The House passed legislation Tuesday that would allow same-day voter registration in Delaware.
Sponsored by Rep. Sherry Dorsey Walker, House Bill 25(S) would eliminate the current deadline to register to vote which is nearly a month before an election. Under the bill, eligible residents could register to vote for the presidential primary, state primary, special, and/or general elections on the same day they cast their ballots.
Until fairly recently, Democrats were slow to support for same-day voting, perhaps due to their control of both Houses and more recently all statewide offices.
Same-day voting is often opposed by Republicans, who claim that the practice, along with mail-in ballots increase the chances of voter fraud. Former President Donald Trump has continued to claim, without evidence that he was cheated out of an election victory, due to alleged voter fraud.
A couple of Republicans voted absent in the party-line vote. The state GOP released a “Rescue Delaware” platform manifesto over the weekend that called for changes aimed at reducing fraud. In the case of same-day registration, Rescue Delaware called for the ballot to be declared provisional and subject to rejection by election officials. An amendment seeking that change was defeated in the House.
“Currently, we have an arbitrary deadline several weeks before an election to register to vote, which disenfranchises potential voters. Upon missing this deadline, they are unable to cast ballots, even if they meet all other eligibility requirements. This is an outdated and unfair practice,” said Dorsey Walker, D-Wilmington. “Election Day registration has existed in several states for decades and is proven to safely and effectively increase voter turnout. It is time for Delaware to be a leader in our nation, join other states, take this important step toward removing voting barriers and finally enfranchising our constituents.”
Current state law sets the last day to register before an election as the “fourth Saturday prior to the date of the election,” close to a month before Election Day.
Under HB 25(S), a person would need to show a valid and current government-issued photo identification card or current document displaying the name and address of the person registering to vote, such as a utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, same-day registration has existed in Maine, Minnesota and Wisconsin since the mid-1970s. Since then, more than 20 states and the District of Columbia have adopted same-day registration, and several other states are contemplating similar laws. Republicans have been attempting to repeal same-day voting
Democats pointed to a study of the 2018 elections that found seven of the top 10 states with the highest turnout offered same-day voter registration (SDR), which allows voters to register or fix a registration problem when they vote. Voter turnout in states with SDR was seven percentage points higher than in states without the option.
