Rep. Danny Short, R-Seaford, holds on to rather old-fashioned/out-of-date ideas about municipal voting and, to some extent, voter registration (“Legislator says don’t move municipal elections, but promote them better,” Dec. 11, 2022). I feel he does not fully appreciate the weight of the benefits favoring the state of Delaware conducting municipal voter registration and November municipal elections.
Please consider:
- Multiples of registered-voter turnout — According to Rep. Short, the 2022 off-year November general election generated a less than 43% turnout — more than 3.5 times April 16, 2022’s turnout in Seaford municipal elections. Such a turnout in Seaford’s election would have produced about 2,100 votes versus the approximately 600 actually cast! In our democracy, outcomes based on 1,500 additional voters’ choices would be by far more preferable.
- Early-voting availability — Before Nov. 8, 2022, I looked into voting by absentee ballot, finding it very cumbersome. Then, I discovered that the Delaware Department of Elections offered early voting — not available for Seaford/other municipal elections (to the best of my knowledge). It was secure, close, convenient, uncrowded, quick and could be accessed on our schedule up to a week before the Nov. 8 election. The choice wasn’t even close: I voted early and never submitted my absentee ballot.
- No conflict with Easter holidays — In 2022, the Seaford municipal elections conflicted with the Easter holiday weekend. This situation is scheduled to be repeated three more times over the next seven years, in April of 2025, 2028 and 2030. Whether you are religious or not, holding municipal elections which conflict with significant holidays and likely produce reductions in voter turnout is a bad idea. Holding such elections in November would void this whole problem for Seaford.
- Potential fiscal savings with consolidation — Locally, the current non-November municipal voting likely incurs small financial outlay. However, the expenses incurred by the state of Delaware Department of Elections are likely substantial, as municipal elections require independent voting preparations/setups for each individual municipality. Obviously, many individual voting jurisdictions each requiring nearly all the same preparations are more time-consuming and expensive than one November election shebang for all. Consolidation could save money.
- Historical impetus — To me, there is a demonstrable long-standing history and impetus towards greater inclusivity in voter registrations and increased turnouts, trends which also support consolidation of individual municipal elections into the November general elections in Delaware. For example, in 1964 in the U.S., people of color were granted real voting equality/rights in spite of many who were skeptical of its success. Around 1918 and in face of considerable opposition, females were finally deemed competent enough to get the right to vote in the U.S. And in the distant past, the vote in the U.S. was eventually no longer restricted to Whites, males and landowners — a radical departure from the previous, reliable and safe practices.
Considering the historical perspective of increasing voter enfranchisement, I am hopeful that Rep. Short and his allies should be willing to take a chance on new voters and increased voter turnout resulting from use of the Delaware Department of Elections’ voter registration system and holding municipal elections in November, respectively.
I will continue to ask Rep. Short and his allies to objectively weigh these facts and take action to join me in this worthy and important endeavor in order to help bolster the democratic process in our municipal elections.
Dan Cannon
Seaford
