How to vote · 2026
Delaware
Mail voting requires an excuse
Every date below comes from the Delaware election office and links to the page that states it. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Dates and rules
Registration, mail ballots, and early voting
Registration deadlineOctober 10, 2026Register online, in person, or by mail by Oct. 10, 2026 (fourth Saturday before the election). No same-day registration.
Mail-ballot request deadlineNovember 2, 2026
Mail ballots first sentSeptember 4, 2026Excuse required (Delaware's constitution limits absentee voting; a court challenge to permanent-absentee status was pending as of Sept. 2026). Ballots must be ready 60 days before the general election (Sept. 4, 2026; 15 Del. C. 5504) and are mailed to approved applicants as processed; the department must mail requested ballots no later than Oct. 30 and can issue in person until noon Nov. 2.
Return ruleMust be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day
Early in-person votingOctober 22, 2026through November 1, 2026 · Early voting sites open in each county Oct. 22-Nov. 1, 2026, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. (later hours vary).
Official DE election site ↗Dates last verified against the official site September 1, 2026.Sources: [1] Delaware 2026 election calendar: early voting Oct. 22-Nov. 1; mail-by deadline Oct. 30; issue deadline noon Nov. 2; return 8 p.m. Election Day[2] USA.gov directory of official state election offices[3] Mail voting period from Sept. 4, 2026 (60-day ballot-ready rule)[4] CEIR 2026 voter registration deadlines (June 25, 2026 dataset; per-mode deadlines and same-day registration windows)[5] NCSL Table 7: statutory rule for when absentee/mail ballots are mailed[6] NCSL Table 11 (updated Dec. 2025): ballot receipt/postmark deadline
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The full table of mail-ballot send dates, registration deadlines, and early-voting windows for all fifty states and DC, plus the documented record of government actions on mail voting this cycle.
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