In Delaware, what is the best way to vote to ensure that your vote gets counted?

In 2020 there were reports that people went to vote on the normal day of election and they were told that they can't vote? Why? They were told that they had already voted.

Aug 31, 2022

1. Vote by "Mail In" Ballot?
2. Vote by "Absentee Ballot"?
3. Vote "In Person" during the "Early Voting" Period?
4. Vote "In Person" on the day of election at your designated polling location?
5. Something Else?

Before I provide my answer let me provide a little background:

In 2020 there were reports that people went to vote on the normal "day" of election and they were told that they can't vote? Why? They were told that they had already voted by “Mail-In” or “Absentee” ballot.

They most likely would have been told this right after they provided ID at the Electronic Poll Book station. That's the little gizmo where you hand them your license and after they scan the license, they usually ask you to sign on the screen. After you do they hand you an almost blank ballot.

Well in this case, after the ID was scanned, the poll worker probably said something like……..

Well this machine here says you have already sent back an Absentee or Mail-In ballot. Now I can't let you vote here because you would be getting two votes and the machine here says I can't let that happen. Oh and don't be mad at me it’s the machine saying that……

I make light of this hypothetical poll worker blaming it on the machine, but in reality what was the poll worker supposed to do? What evidence was there that the person in front of them at the time was telling the truth? It was that person’s word vs. the machine!

Now if that happened to you as the voter you were probably upset for one of 3 reasons. Either:

1. you realized that you did have shall we say a forgetful moment and you are embarrassed, or

2. you were trying to cheat and got caught, or

3. you were upset because YOU KNOW YOU DID NOT send in an Absentee or Mail-In ballot and someone else got one in your name and sent it in and stole your vote.

Unfortunately, in Delaware I believe it is pretty easy for someone to get an Absentee Ballot in someone else's name. If you want more information on that, go to the "Presentation" tab on the Delawarecounts.com web site starting about midway through the second video at the 4:16 minute mark and see how vulnerable the Absentee Voting process is here in Delaware. It's a little discouraging.

I could go into further detail but let’s stop here for now. With that background have you figured out the answer to the question yet? In my opinion, the best answer is #5. Something Else.

How I am going to vote?

1. I am going to request an Absentee Ballot first, and then a Mail-In Ballot. I can think of valid reasons they would have to send both and I will be curious to see if they do.
2. When the DOE sends me back either, or both Ballots, and associated Ballot Envelopes, I AM NOT GOING TO FILL THEM OUT, AND I AM NOT GOING TO SEND THEM BACK TO THE DOE.
3. On election day, I am going to go vote in person as usual, but I will have my unused, original DOE Absentee and Mail In Ballot(s) and associated Ballot Envelopes in my pocket.

I think that if I vote this way, the chances are higher than normal that I will be allowed to vote, however, if I sign in at the Electronic Poll Book and someone tells me I have already voted by Absentee or Mail-In ballot I will first congratulate them and let them know they are about to be famous because they will have just proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is election fraud in Delaware.

I will then pull out my Absentee and/ or Mail In ballot(s) in their pristine and unused condition and prove that I have not voted by Absentee or Mail In ballot and have others witness my statements to that effect.

I think photographs or videos of the Electronic Poll Book screen and any other Department of Elections documentation that says I already voted would be appropriate.

Someone may still have been able to steal my vote, but at least I will have a legal case and tangible evidence that I have not voted and that could move us further towards the ultimate solution of voting by hand marked, and hand counted ballots.