Election Denial in Delaware

Elections are run by the states. In Delaware, the Governor, Attorney General, and state commissioner of elections are the state officials responsible for overseeing elections. In most states, the Secretary of State is the chief election official. Delaware is an exception: The state commissioner of elections holds that responsibility. It’s up to all of them to make sure the will of the people is always respected.

Delaware has a race in 2024 for at least one of the statewide offices that oversee elections. Here are the candidates.

Every state runs its own elections, with its own laws and processes. Check out how Delaware compares with other states in its region when it comes to Election Deniers holding state election administration jobs.

Voters are always the backstop against election denial, whether Election Deniers are already in office or vying for power. It’s important to turn out for every election in your state—and to vote in every race on your ballot. Downballot races, like contests for Attorney General and Secretary of State, have historically drawn fewer voters, even though the positions are critical to keeping elections free, fair, and secure. Here’s a look at voter participation in Delaware elections over time. Notice that in years with several important positions up for election, some voters choose not to vote in every race.

Each year, state legislators introduce thousands of bills related to elections. And in the past few years, we’ve identified a concerning trend. Across the country, state legislatures are considering bills that would make it easier for partisan actors to manipulate an election, and maybe even overturn the will of the people. We’re tracking these bills along with our partners in an ongoing series of reports called “A Democracy Crisis in the Making.” In 2023 alone, through early May, we tracked 185 bills introduced in 38 state legislatures that would politicize, criminalize, or interfere with elections. 

The anti-democracy playbook is simple: change the rules and change the referees, in order to change the results. These bills go hand-in-hand with the Election Denier movement: They’re about taking power away from voters and making it harder for trusted election officials to do their jobs.