After six months of reorganization proposals, the Delaware Board of Elections approves New Castle County’s final polling location changes in time for the upcoming 2024 presidential primary.
When Tracey Dixon started the position of New Castle County Director of Elections in 2020, the county had 172 polling locations.
This past year, Dixon visited all locations to identify polling places with accessibility issues or that could be consolidated with neighboring locations.
“Some places were very close together and were becoming kind of redundant. There was one place in particular where we had 30 voters and another place right next to it had 500-some, so it made sense to consolidate those two places together.”
Dixon explains staffing polling locations and retaining election officers has become increasingly difficult, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.
State Election Commissioner Anthony Albence noted recent stipend increases for poll workers has helped — stipends for clerks increased from $190 to $300, stipends for judges increased from $195 to $325 and stipends for inspectors increased from $235 to $400.
Through consolidation, she says the county has dropped roughly 20 polling locations, allowing the New Castle County Department of Elections to utilize election officers and voting equipment more efficiently.
“It’s really just to ensure that our voters have the most efficient, effective and most accessible voting places to go to on Election Day," she says.
Dixon says voters in New Castle County who’s polling locations have changed due to the reorganization will receive a card in the mail with the new location on it within the next 60 days.
