A new bill in the Delaware House would allow First State residents to vote by mail in all national and local elections.
State Rep. Gerald Brady’s (D-Wilmington) measure would not replace current in-person or absentee voting methods, but would allow all voters to mail in their ballot, or drop it off at an elections office drop box before the election, or at a polling place on Election Day.
Brady says this will increase voter turnout.
“Voters will have an opportunity to hold on to the ballot, to give it more thought, to look and see whose names are on the ballot,” said Brady. “And the studies has clearly indicated that the voter counts are up and there’s just a deeper thought into the process.”
He adds the measure may also encourage more people to vote across party lines.
“People that traditionally accustomed to—let’s just say—going down the straight ticket, and sometimes that was a force of nature or habit when you get to the bottom of the voting machine,” he said. “Traditionally you didn't give those positions or campaigns much thought, but this will give you as much time as you like.”
Under the bill, mail-in ballots would be processed and scanned ahead of an election, but not be tabulated until Election Day.
More than 20 states allow mail-in ballots for some elections. Colorado, Oregon and Washington have all-mail elections.
If passed the law would go into effect at the start of 2022.