You’d think a state as small as Delaware would have a simple, "blink-and-you-miss-it" election cycle. Honestly, it's usually the opposite. The 2024 Delaware election dates were a bit of a rollercoaster, primarily because the schedule most people had pinned to their fridges at the start of the year didn't actually happen the way it was supposed to.
Basically, the "Big One"—the Presidential Primary—was a ghost. If you showed up to your local polling place on April 2 expecting to cast a ballot, you probably found the doors locked.
The April 2 Disappearing Act
So, what really happened? The 2024 Delaware presidential primary was originally set for April 2, 2024. It’s the date everyone had circled. But in a move that caught some casual observers off guard, the state actually canceled it.
Delaware law is pretty specific: if a political party only has one candidate who qualifies for the ballot, they don't hold the election. It's a cost-saving measure, mostly. On the Democratic side, Joe Biden was the only name. On the Republican side, after Nikki Haley dropped out of the race in March, the state legislature passed Senate Bill 241 to officially pull her name and cancel that primary too.
Just like that, the first big date on the calendar was gone.
When the Real Voting Happened
Even with the April primary scrapped, the rest of the year was packed. You've got to look at the fall to see where the real action was.
The State Primary Election took place on September 10, 2024. This was the big hurdle for local offices. While the national news was obsessed with the White House, Delawareans were busy picking who would represent them in Dover and who would eventually head to D.C. to replace retiring Senator Tom Carper.
Key Dates You Might’ve Missed
- May 14, 2024: School Board Elections. These are low-turnout but high-impact.
- August 17, 2024: The hard deadline to register if you wanted to vote in that September primary.
- August 28 – September 8, 2024: The 10-day window for early voting before the primary.
The General Election: November 5, 2024
Then came the main event. Tuesday, November 5, 2024, was the official General Election day. This wasn't just about the Presidency; it was a massive shift for Delaware's internal leadership. We saw history made with Sarah McBride becoming the first openly transgender person elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. We also saw Lisa Blunt Rochester win her bid for the U.S. Senate, making her the first woman and first Black person to represent Delaware in the Senate.
Early voting for the general election was a huge deal this time around. It ran from October 25 through November 3. A lot of people—over 113,000, actually—opted to go early rather than deal with the Tuesday morning rush.
Registration and Deadlines
If you missed the boat, it was likely because of the registration cutoff. Delaware doesn't do same-day registration for everyone yet (though that’s been a hot debate in the General Assembly).
For the General Election, the deadline was October 12, 2024. If your paperwork wasn't in by then—whether online, by mail, or at the DMV—you were pretty much sitting on the sidelines.
A quick note on absentee voting: Delaware is still a bit "old school" here. You can't just vote by mail because you feel like it. You need a valid excuse, like being out of the state or having a physical disability. The deadline to request those ballots by mail was November 1, 2024.
How the Results Shook Out
The turnout was solid. We're talking about 67% of eligible voters showing up. In a state with roughly 770,000 registered voters, that’s a lot of people heading to places like the Appoquinimink State Service Center or the Elks Lodge in Kent County.
- Kamala Harris took the state’s 3 electoral votes with about 56.5% of the vote.
- Matt Meyer won the Governor’s race, succeeding John Carney.
- Sarah McBride won the At-Large Congressional seat with nearly 58% of the vote.
It’s interesting to note that while Delaware remained "Solid Blue," the margins shifted slightly in places like Sussex County, which continues to be a Republican stronghold compared to the heavily Democratic New Castle County.
Your Next Steps
Now that the 2024 cycle is in the rearview mirror, the focus shifts to local governance and the upcoming 2025/2026 dates.
- Check your status: Even if you voted in 2024, jump on the ivote.de.gov portal. It’s the easiest way to make sure your address is current before the 2025 School Board elections.
- Mark May 13, 2025: That's the next time you'll likely head to the polls for local school board seats.
- Research the 2026 Primary: It feels far away, but the filing deadlines for the September 15, 2026 primary will be here sooner than you think.
Staying on top of these dates is the only way to make sure your voice actually makes it into the tally.
