For the first time, Delawareans have the opportunity to avoid Election Day delays at the polls and cast their ballots early for the upcoming primary election on Sept. 13.

As of Aug. 31, registered voters throughout the state have the chance to vote at one of their respective county’s designated polling places. While polls will be closed Sept. 4 and Sept. 5 for Labor Day weekend, voters will have the remaining week to utilize in-person early voting.

Early voting was signed into effect on the final day of the legislative session in 2019. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. David Bentz, D-Christiana, outlined the timetable in which early voting would be available, voting locations and a date for implementation, which was Jan. 1, 2022.

As of Sept. 1, there were 760,788 registered voters throughout the state. Of that total, approximately 362,000 Delawareans were registered as Democrats, while 209,358 Delawareans were registered as Republicans. Additionally, 171,136 registered voters were not affiliated with a party, making them ineligible to participate in the upcoming primary election.

Unregistered voters still have the opportunity to utilize early voting; for the first time, Delawareans have access to same-day voter registration, allowing them to register and vote on Election Day. Unregistered voters who wish to register for the primary election can get signed up in a number of ways, including online, by mail or in person at one of the numerous state office locations.

As of 5:30 p.m. Sept. 1, a total of 773 Delawareans had cast their ballots early and in person, according to State Elections Commissioner Anthony Albence.

In New Castle County, 197 Delawareans utilized early voting. The county will see eight competitive primaries for seats in the state House of Representatives and one race for the 1st District seat on New Castle County Council. Thus far, all votes cast in New Castle County were by Democrats, as the county does not have any Republican primary races.

Kent County will see primaries for two state Senate seats, one House seat and two seats on the county’s Levy Court. According to Commissioner Albence, 166 voters have utilized early voting in the county, with 80 Democrats and 86 Republicans casting their ballots.

Accounting for more than half of early voting ballots, Sussex County has had significant early voting turnout in comparison to New Castle and Kent counties. The county had 410 voters cast their ballots early, and although registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by more than 8,200 voters in the county, Democrats outnumbered Republicans in the early voting totals. According to Commissioner Albence, 248 Democrats voted early in Sussex County, compared to the 162 Republicans who voted early.

While there will be competitive primary races for seats in each county, only one statewide seat, the auditor of accounts, will be on the ballot for the primary election.

Sen. Bonini condemns President Biden’s speech

After President Joe Biden’s primetime speech regarding the future of democracy in America, Sen. Colin Bonini, R-Dover, has condemned the speech, criticizing President Biden and the “modern-day” Democratic Party. In a statement, Sen. Bonini said he had never seen anything as “blatantly partisan and untruthful” as President Biden’s speech, adding that President Biden has been “anything but unifying” since taking office.

“In it, Biden characterized ‘MAGA-Republicans’ as an existential threat to democracy and that Republicans are embracing ‘semi-fascism.’ He said this while standing in front of a blood-red backdrop with members of the military over each shoulder,” Sen. Bonini said.

“Democrats oppose electoral integrity, an open-market economy and employ the mainstream media to promote their message unfiltered. If anyone is embracing ‘semi-fascism,’ it’s Biden and the modern-day Democrat Party.”

The statement marked the second time Sen. Bonini has spoken out about national issues in the last month. After the FBI search of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence on Aug. 8, Sen. Bonini called the search a “banana republic-type political hit job” and criticized the Biden administration for the search, attributing it to political motivation.

Kent County Sheriff endorsements

In the Nov. 8 general election, incumbent Kent County Sheriff Brian E. Lewis will be challenged by former Police Chief of Harrington Norman Barlow.

Mr. Lewis, a former Dover City councilman and Capital School District board member, has recently received two endorsements for the race.

On Aug. 29, Mr. Lewis was endorsed by Veterans Services, a Smyrna-based organization that supports veterans’ reentry needs, such as work, housing or veteran affairs services. In a statement, Veterans Services CEO Joseph M. Walls said Mr. Lewis has listened to returning veterans in the community and helped them adjust to their families and communities.

“This is the first time that Veterans Services has endorsed anyone for public office. We never thought that ‘politicians’ took seriously their duty to ensure that the public is included within ‘public’ office. This is an opportunity for us to make sure that a public servant of compassion and dedication continues to serve the public. Sherriff Lewis is a rare servant to those who served our country. We need Sherriff Lewis to remain in office,” Mr. Walls said.

On Thursday, Mr. Lewis was endorsed by Rep. Sean Lynn, D-Dover, who commended his leadership ability.

“Brian has always been a strong advocate for helping those in the community. We have worked together feeding and helping the homeless at the Interfaith Homeless Mission for Housing, children with special needs organizations and at the local animal shelters, just to name a few,” Rep. Lynn said. “Brian has a true compassion for trying to make a difference in the lives of others. He has served his community with honor and has proven himself through his leadership abilities.”