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Voting in your state

Voting in Delaware, 2026

Every date and deadline for the November 3 general election, from registering to the final certificate, and who signs off on the result.

Right nowEarly voting is open in Delaware through Sunday, November 1.Election Day in 7 days

Every date, in order

  1. Sat, Oct 10 · passed
    Registration deadline
    Register by Saturday October 10, 2026, the fourth Saturday before Election Day.2
  2. Thu, Oct 22 · passed
    Early voting begins
  3. Mon, Nov 2 · 6 days
    Last day for mail ballot applications
    Absentee applications must be received by noon on Monday November 2, 2026 in person, or by Friday October 30, 2026 by mail or online.2
  4. Tue, Nov 3 · 7 days
    Election Day; Mail ballots must arrive
    Absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.2
  5. Thu, Nov 5 · 9 days
    County/Local canvass; County/Local certification
    The county canvass begins at 10 a.m. on the second day after the election, November 5. No completion deadline is set.3
  6. After certification
    Deadline to contest the result
    A notice of intent to contest must be filed within 20 days after the canvass result is made official.4

Questions people ask about voting in Delaware

Q. When does early voting end in Delaware?

Early voting runs from Thursday October 22 through Sunday November 1, 2026.

Q. When is the deadline to register to vote in Delaware?

Register by Saturday October 10, 2026, the fourth Saturday before Election Day.

Q. What is the last day to request a mail ballot in Delaware?

Absentee applications must be received by noon on Monday November 2, 2026 in person, or by Friday October 30, 2026 by mail or online.

Q. When does my mail ballot have to arrive in Delaware?

Absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Q. Who certifies the election in Delaware, and by when?

The Superior Court in each county receives and canvasses the county results and sends them to state officials. The county canvass begins at 10 a.m. on the second day after the election, November 5, 2026. The Governor canvasses and certifies the results for statewide offices and presidential electors, and the Legislature handles the race for governor. The governor declares the winners for Congress without delay once every county has reported, with no fixed date.

Q. What happens after the count in Delaware, and when is there a recount?

A statewide candidate may request a state funded recount when the margin is fewer than 1,000 votes or less than one half of one percent, whichever is less, and must ask before the canvass adjourns.

Q. How long is there to contest an election in Delaware?

A notice of intent to contest must be filed within 20 days after the canvass result is made official.

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Sources

  1. US Vote Foundation, Delaware Election Dates and Deadlines, https://www.usvotefoundation.org/delaware-election-dates-and-deadlines
  2. Vote.org, Delaware Election Center, https://www.vote.org/state/delaware/
  3. NCSL, Canvass Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/canvass-deadlines
  4. NCSL, Contested Election Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/contested-election-deadlines
  5. NASS, State Election Canvassing Timeframes and Recount Thresholds, https://www.nass.org/node/2455
  6. Bolts, Who counts our elections, https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/who-counts-our-elections/
  7. NCSL, Election Certification Deadlines, https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/election-certification-deadlines

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