The House last week passed House Bill 293 unanimously. This bill requires that the Department of Elections ensure that polling places selected for elections are accessible to voters with disabilities and elderly voters.
While Federal and Delaware law protect the right to vote and the rights of individuals with disabilities to have equal access to voting places and public facilities, it appears that a substantial number of polling places in Delaware are either inaccessible to persons with disabilities or lack accessible parking, infringing on the right of all eligible persons to vote in this State.
The bill allows exceptions for states of emergency as determined by the Election Commissioner, or for circumstances in which no accessible polling place in a particular polling area is available and the Election Commissioner ensures that those voters impacted are provided with an alternative accessible polling place or alternative means for casting a ballot upon advance request.
| HB293 — Access to Polling Places for those with Disabilities | Currrent Status – House Passed 34-0-7. Senate Elections & Government Affairs 4/18/24 |
| House Sponsors – Carson, Baumbach, Bolden, Johnson, Lynn, Moore, Morrison, Osienski, Parker Selby, Phillips // Ramone, Yearick | Senate Sponsors – Hoffner, Hansen, Huxtable, Mantzavinos, Pinkney, Walsh // Pettyjohn |
| House Yes Votes – Baumbach Bush Carson Cooke Griffith Harris Johnson Lambert Longhurst Lynn Minor-Brown Moore Morrison Neal Osienski Parker-Selby Phillips Romer Schwartzkopf Williams Wilson-Anton // Collins Gray Hilovsky Jones-Giltner, Morris Postles Ramone Short Shupe Smith Spiegelman Vanderwende Yearick | Senate Yes Votes – |
| House No Votes – None | Senate No Votes – |
| House Absents or Not Voting – Bolden Chukwuocha Dorsey-Walker Dukes Hensley Matthews Heffernan | Senate Absent or Not Voting – |
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