Delaware Votes Today: A Simple Guide to the Primary
Delaware holds its 2026 primary on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. It is the last state primary before the November 3 general election. Polls open at 7am ET (12:00 GMT) and close at 8pm ET (00:00 GMT). Al Jazeera
A primary is like a playoff. Each party picks one person to send to the final contest in November. Delaware uses a closed primary. That means only registered Democrats vote in the Democratic primary. Only registered Republicans vote in the Republican primary.
A primary for a job happens only if more than one person from the same party wants it. If no one else is running, that person goes straight to November.
Delaware is small. As of September 1, 2026, it had about 808,000 registered voters, including about 331,000 registered Democrats and about 199,000 registered Republicans. Al Jazeera The state lists Election Day polling places separately for Kent County, New Castle County and Sussex County for the September 15 primary. Delaware Department of Elections
The big race to watch is for the U.S. Senate. Democratic Senator Chris Coons wants to keep his seat for a third full term. He faces three primary opponents: Jeff Appelhans, Mary Louve and Eric Hansen. The official sample ballot says "Vote for 1" and lists Jeff Appelhans, Chris Coons, E. No-Trump Hansen and Mary Louve. Delaware Department of Elections Hansen was the Republican Senate nominee in Delaware in 2024. He is now running as a Democrat under the ballot name "E. No-Trump Hansen." Al Jazeera
On the Republican side, former state Senator Michael Katz and U.S. Army Reserve Colonel John Shulli are competing for the Senate nomination. The Democratic and Republican winners will face each other in November.
The 2026 primary includes races for the U.S. Senate and U.S. House. NPR Sarah McBride is Delaware's sole representative in the U.S. House and the first out transgender member of the U.S. Congress. She has no primary opponent as she seeks a second term. She will advance to November without a primary contest. Three Republicans, Joseph Arminio, Earl Cooper and John Whalen, are competing to face McBride in November for the House seat.
Other jobs are on the ballot too. Delaware's Democratic state attorney general is seeking re-election, alongside Coons and McBride. Voters will also choose nominees for the state legislature and for an open state treasurer seat. The state's candidates calendar places the September 15 statewide primary alongside earlier 2026 contests including May 12 school board elections. Delaware Department of Elections
The broader context here is that Republicans have a hard record in Delaware in federal and statewide races. Republicans have not won the Delaware governorship since 1988. They have not won a U.S. Senate seat in Delaware since 1994. They have not won Delaware's U.S. House seat since 2008. Al Jazeera
In my view, that past helps explain why the rules matter. The primary is late and closed, with only seven weeks until November 3. That rewards strong organization. Turnout will come from registered party voters, not independents. Winners must unite their party fast. People with no opponent can save money while rivals spend through September. With a small voter pool in three counties, county results and legislature races may show which party machine is stronger for the midterms.
