How to vote in Delaware's November 3 general election
Every date and rule for the 2026 general election in one place: registering, early voting, Election Day, absentee ballots, and what to bring. Each one comes from the Delaware Department of Elections and links back to it.
How to read this. This page restates the Department of Elections' published dates and rules in plain language, with a link to the official source under each section. The Department of Elections is the authority. If anything here differs from what the Department publishes, the Department is right, and we fix this page. To check your own registration, your polling place, or an absentee request, use the state's voter portal, ivote.de.gov.
Key dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Sat, Oct 10 | Voter registration deadline, 11:59 p.m. Mailed applications count if postmarked by this date. |
| Mon, Oct 19 | Registration deadline for uniformed service members and citizens living outside the U.S. |
| Thu, Oct 22 to Sat, Oct 24 | Early voting, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Sun, Oct 25 | No early voting. |
| Mon, Oct 26 to Tue, Oct 27 | Early voting, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Wed, Oct 28 to Sun, Nov 1 | Early voting, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Fri, Oct 30 | Last day the Department of Elections mails absentee ballots. |
| Mon, Nov 2 | Last day county elections offices issue absentee ballots, until 12 noon. |
| Tue, Nov 3 | Election Day. Polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voted absentee ballots must reach your county elections office by 8 p.m. |
| Thu, Nov 5 | Each county's Board of Canvass meets at 10 a.m. to certify the results. |
Source: Delaware Department of Elections, 2026 Delaware Election Calendar and Early Voting Sites and Schedule. All times Eastern.
Registering to vote
Who can register
You can register in Delaware if you are a U.S. citizen, Delaware is your home, and you will be 18 on or before November 3, 2026.
You cannot register if a court has found you mentally incompetent, if you have a felony conviction and have not fully completed your sentence, or if you have a conviction for one of the felonies Delaware law lists as disqualifying and have not been pardoned. Unpaid fines, fees, costs, or restitution do not count against completing a sentence. If you have completed your sentence for a felony that is not on the disqualifying list, you need to register again, even if you were registered before the conviction. Questions about eligibility go to the Office of the State Election Commissioner at (302) 739-4277.
You do not need a fixed address. You can register using a shelter, agency, or other place where you get mail.
How to register, by Saturday, October 10, at 11:59 p.m.
- Online at the state voter portal, ivote.de.gov.
- In person at any Department of Elections office.
- By mail, email, or fax to the Department. A mailed application counts if it is postmarked by October 10.
- At the DMV. Eligible residents who are not registered are registered automatically when they apply for or renew a Delaware driver's license, learner's permit, or ID card, or change their name or address on one.
A change of address with the Post Office does not update your voter registration. Check or update your record at ivote.de.gov.
Uniformed service members and citizens living outside the U.S. have until Monday, October 19.
Source: Delaware Department of Elections, Voter Registration.
Early voting, October 22 to November 1
You can vote in person at any early voting site in the county where you live, on any early voting day. The process is the same as voting on Election Day.
- October 22 to 24 and October 26 to 27: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Sunday, October 25: no early voting.
- October 28 to November 1: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Each county has several sites, and the list can change. Find the current list for your county on the Department's Early Voting Sites page.
Source: Early Voting Sites and Schedule; Ways to Vote.
Election Day, Tuesday, November 3
Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Election Day you vote at your assigned polling place, which depends on your home address. Find it at ivote.de.gov or on your polling place card. The Department also publishes the full list of polling places.
Source: Ways to Vote.
What to bring
Delaware does not have a photo ID law. You will be asked to show identification. If your name is on the poll list and you do not have identification with you, you can sign an affidavit affirming your identity and vote. If your name is not on the list, the election officer contacts the Department to confirm your registration and your correct polling place.
Source: Delaware Department of Elections, "Does Delaware have a photo ID law?"
Voting by absentee ballot
Who can vote absentee
In Delaware you need one of the reasons set out in state law (15 Del. C. § 5502) to vote by absentee ballot. The reasons on the state's application are:
- You are in the public service of the U.S. or Delaware, or you are a U.S. citizen temporarily living outside the U.S., or the spouse or dependent of such a person living with them, or you are away from Delaware because of illness or injury while serving in the armed forces.
- The nature of your business or occupation, including providing constant care at home to someone who is ill, disabled, or injured, being a student, or being incarcerated.
- You are sick or physically disabled, temporarily or permanently.
- You are away from your district on vacation.
- The tenets or teachings of your religion keep you from voting at a certain time or on a certain day.
Some voters can ask for permanent absentee status, including voters who are sick or disabled or who provide constant care at home. Uniformed service members and citizens overseas use the Federal Post Card Application instead, at ivote.de.gov or fvap.gov.
How to request one and return it
- Request it at ivote.de.gov, or download the absentee ballot application and send it to your county elections office, or call your county office to have one sent to you.
- The Department mails absentee ballots until Friday, October 30. County offices issue them until 12 noon on Monday, November 2.
- Your voted ballot must reach your county Department of Elections office by 8 p.m. on November 3. Absentee ballots are not accepted at early voting sites or polling places.
- Voters who are sick or disabled can ask for electronic delivery of the ballot.
Source: Absentee ballot application; Absentee Voting; Ways to Vote; 2026 Election Calendar.
What's on the ballot, and results
The 2026 ballot includes U.S. Senate, Delaware's at-large U.S. House seat, Attorney General, State Treasurer, Auditor of Accounts, all 41 State House seats, part of the State Senate, and county offices. See who's on the Delaware ballot for the standardized public record of each candidate.
Each county's Board of Canvass meets on Thursday, November 5, at 10 a.m. to certify the results.