Delaware Provisional Voting

Provisional ballots begin being counted the day following an election. You can check the status of your provisional ballot to determine if your vote was counted.

If you are a registered voter in your election district but your name does not appear on the official poll list, you may be able to vote by updating the record of a name or address change or by provisional ballot. Provisional ballots cover only federal offices such as President, Vice President, US Senate and US Congress. To be permitted to vote on a provisional ballot, you will be asked to sign an affidavit that says you are a registered voter in that election district and that you are eligible to vote in that election. If a federal or state court order extends the time established for closing the polls, votes cast after the normal poll closing time will all be by provisional ballot.

At the time you vote, you will be given information on the free access system set up by the commissioner of elections so that you can determine whether or not your ballot was counted and, if not, the reason why. Ballots are cast on paper and sealed, and you will be assigned a tracking number. The sealed envelopes are delivered to the Department of Elections for each county on the night of the election for verification the next day. If the Department of Elections for your county determines that the provisional ballot is eligible, then the vote is counted.

Note: You must provide proof of identity and address to vote on a provisional ballot. Acceptable forms of identification are a current, valid photo ID, copy of current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other government document that shows your name and address.