Speak Up: Response to QOTD: Should vote by mail continue in Delaware?

A vote-by-mail provision resulted in more Delaware residents voting in the 2020 election. Further action would be required by the General Assembly to allow the option to continue. What should the state do regarding expanded voting capabilities?

• I think it is unreasonable to believe that each and every citizen in Delaware has the capability of voting on one specific day within a specific time frame on that day. People work different shifts, have different responsibilities, have different access to transportation, and the list goes on. In effect, our strict adherence to Election Day voting and only when polls are open has basically disenfranchised a large proportion of our citizens for as long as I can remember. In addition, there are people who have emergencies arise, e.g., their child gets sick, they themselves get sick, they are in an accident on the way to work, they cover a double shift because a co-worker is out, etc. Should their votes not be counted? I think that there should be a way for every citizen in Delaware to vote when it is most convenient to each of them during a time frame leading up to Election Day itself. I don’t think it should matter if a person votes the day before or the week before or whether they register their vote electronically, via USPS mail, via secure voting boxes at various locations (police stations, libraries, post offices, town halls, etc.) or in person on Election Day. To narrowly restrict a citizen’s ability to vote to a specific time and manner that basically only suits certain voters and not all voters is, in my opinion, simply not right. I hope we put the proper safeguards in place and then open up the process to ensure everyone who legally can vote can easily find a way to vote. — Ruth Ashby