Georgetown’s Town Council unanimously passed an ordinance at its June 9 meeting, amending the town code’s sections on voting.
Georgetown’s regulations concerning absentee ballots and voter registration bring the town code to an agreement with state law.
Town manager Gene Dvornick said one item in the ordinance requires the town maintain information about each person casting an absentee ballot including their name, address and ballot envelope identification number.
Another item also deals with absentee ballots.
“This amends Section 39-1 about casting of absentee ballots by adding – in addition to being out of town – any other reason permissible under Delaware law regarding absentee voting,” Dvornick said.
That includes being unavoidably out of town, ill or due to religious reasons.
The modified section on voter registration requires the town to use the Department of Elections’s file.
Town solicitor Stephani Ballard Wagner said the modifications don’t change anything about voter qualifications.
“If you're on the list the state sends the town you're, by definition, eligible,” Ballard Wagner said. “If you're not on the list, you have to prove your eligibility to meet the criteria in the charter.”
Applicants for absentee ballots will file an affidavit compliant with a town- and state-approved form.
Town Council adopted the ordinance 5-0.
