Tens of thousands of Delaware teens will soon be able to register to vote when applying for their first driver’s licenses, thanks to a new law signed by Governor Jack Markell.
House Bill 381, sponsored by Representative Valerie Longhurst (D-Bear), would allow 16- and 17-year-old citizens to preregister to vote at motor vehicle offices. They would not be allowed to vote until they turn 18.
In a WDEL report yesterday, Longhurst stressed the importance of instilling civic duty in young people early in life: “People that do register early and start voting early, it becomes a habit, and they continue to vote later on in life.”
When the law takes effect in January, Delaware will join Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, North Carolina and Rhode Island as states that have adopted similar pre-registration legislation.
Read Project Vote’s testimony and letters submitted to Delaware officials regarding HB 381 here.
Read more on preregistration policies in general here.
Find your state’s preregistration policy here.