STATE SUPREME COURT URGED TO REINSTATE VOTING RIGHTS

The Delaware Supreme Court is under pressure to reinstate key voting provisions that once allowed Delawareans to vote early and by absentee without the need for an excuse.

The urgency arises following a recent superior court decision that overturned early voting and permanent absentee measures, deeming them unconstitutional. The Department of Elections has launched an appeal in response to this ruling.

Community Legal Aid Society (CLASI) and the Arc of Delaware have entered the legal fray, submitting an amicus brief in support of voters with disabilities. Clasi’s disabilities law program director Marissa Band emphasized the disproportionate impact the removal of these provisions would have on voters with disabilities, who often rely on them to exercise their right to vote.

The amicus brief urges the Delaware Supreme Court to preserve these vital voting mechanisms, citing a nationwide study revealing that 74% of voters with disabilities utilized mail-in or early in-person voting options during the 2020 elections. The outcome of this legal battle

Could significantly affect the voting rights landscape for Delawareans.