Rep. Bryan Shupe, R-Milford, recently wrote a commentary specifying his position on House Bill 75 (“Taking a closer look at the absentee-voting bill,” Jan. 22). This bill is the second leg of a constitutional amendment which would allow the General Assembly to set standards for absentee voting in Delaware. The Delaware Constitution now specifies a limited number of reasons for absentee voting. The GA had to pass emergency legislation to allow all eligible Delawareans to vote by absentee ballot in 2020.
Rep. Shupe wrote in his piece, “It also has been brought to my attention the local branch of the national organization Common Cause will be canvassing our neighborhoods in an attempt to convince residents how HB 75 must be supported to protect absentee-ballot procedures. While HB 75 aims to expand absentee voting to all registered voters for any reason, it does so in a way that allows elected officials to create new election rules to benefit their own party in the next election cycle, by a simple majority vote.” I have a few comments in response.
First, Common Cause Delaware (CCDE), the state arm of Common Cause, strongly supports HB 75, and we have asked our members to canvass in support of the bill. CCDE has been a key player in advocating for democratic measures in Delaware since 1972. I know this because I joined in 1972 and have served as chair of the board for two multiyear stints. Over the decades, CCDE has been instrumental in working with the General Assembly and several governors to pass legislation on campaign finance reform to take big money out of politics and make the role of money in politics more transparent. CCDE works to make registration and voting more accessible for eligible Delaware citizens, as well as works for reforms to modernize and democratize Delaware’s democracy.
Second, this effort to allow no-excuse absentee voting is not simply a CCDE effort. We are helping to lead a coalition which includes a great diversity of 40-plus organizations, from unions to good-government groups and youth and fraternal organizations. This is a statewide effort of your friends and neighbors. Do you remember when to vote absentee in Delaware you had to get your application for an absentee ballot notarized? I do and remember having to spend many frustrating hours looking for a notary. Were you in a vulnerable-to-COVID-19 category and wanted to vote without risking your life in November 2020? I was and was very relieved that the General Assembly used its emergency powers to allow me and my fellow Delawareans to do so. Are you aware that many states now only allow no-excuse absentee voting, but some even only have mail-in voting? Thanks to research by organizations like Common Cause, I am and would like to expand the opportunity for no-excuse absentee voting.
Third, supporting HB 75 is not a partisan effort, although there may well be a partisan response to block the constitutional amendment. Over the decades, it has been the Republican Party which has had more absentee voters than the Democratic Party. In the last election, where COVID-19 forced changes in many of our traditions, this was reversed. Common Cause is a nonpartisan organization and supports those policies which enhance the opportunity to vote by citizens of the state. The national group was founded by John Gardner, a Republican, in 1970.
I am delighted that Rep. Shupe supports no-excuse absentee voting. However, if the second leg of the amendment process fails this year, there will be no guarantee that Delawareans will have this alternative in November 2022.
Jeff Raffel
Chair, Common Cause Delaware
