DELAWARE - The Delaware Department of Elections says early voting for the 2026 primary election will open to eligible voters on September 2.
Eligible primary election voters are Delaware voters who are registered with either the Democratic or Republican parties. It also includes voters who were automatically registered to vote at the DMV without a political party affiliation, also known as AVR Voters, who have not yet submitted their party affiliation to the DOE, officials say.
DOE explains that AVR Voters are allowed to declare their party affiliation as Democratic or Republic up to and including on the day of the 2026 primary, which is on September 15 this year. AVR Voters will choose to vote with a Democratic primary ballot or Republican primary ballot when voting early or at their assigned polling place on election day. After voting, their political party will be changed to that of the ballot they chose.
The early voting period lasts 10 days before Election Day. DOE says early voting hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the first 5 days of early voting. Hours change to 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the last 5 days of early voting.
A complete breakdown of early voting dates and times is as follows:
- September 2, 2026 - September 5, 2026, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- Labor Day Holiday - No Early Voting September 6 and 7
- September 8, 2026, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- September 9, 2026 - September 13, 2026, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Early voting sites in Kent County are as follows:
- BPOE #1903 Elks Lodge - 200 S Saulsbury Rd., Dover, DE 19904
- Frederica Senior Center - 216 Market St., Frederica, DE 19946
- Harrington Parks & Recreation - 114 E. Liberty St., Harrington, DE 19952
- Wyoming United Methodist Church - 216 Wyoming Mill Rd., Dover, DE 19904
And in Sussex County:
- Department of Elections Georgetown Warehouse - 542 S. Bedford St., Georgetown, DE 19947
- Department of Elections Seaford Warehouse - 200 Allen St., Seaford, DE 19973
- Ellendale Fire Hall - 302 Main St., Ellendale, DE 19941
- Fairfield Inn by Marriott - 19113 Coastal Hwy., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
- Indian River Fire Co Sta #2 - 25375 Banks Rd., Millsboro, DE 19966
- Laurel Fire Hall - 205 W 10th St., Laurel, DE 19956
- Margaret Rollins Community Center - 101 Adams Ave., Lewes, DE 19958
- Millville Community Center - 32517 Dukes Dr., Millville, DE 19967
- Roxana Fire Hall - 39453 Zion Church Rd., Frankford, DE 19945
DOE notes that this is the last election in which the AVR party-affiliation provision applies. A recent change in Delaware law dictates that individuals registering to vote through the DMV will be given the opportunity to select a political party while registering there. More information on the upcoming election can be found here.
