Delaware’s Elections Oversight Board Has Been Dark Since November 2025
Delaware’s Board of Elections has not held a single meeting in 2026, and the state’s midterm primary is roughly one month away. The board was created specifically to ensure election security and fairness, and its absence raises direct questions about who is doing that work right now.
Every monthly meeting scheduled this year has been canceled. A Department of Elections spokesperson said the board cannot convene because of membership vacancies that prevent a quorum.
Three Deaths Left the Board Without Enough Members to Function
Three board members died between December 2025 and April 2026. Those deaths created the vacancies that have kept the board from meeting for upward of eight months.
Governor Matt Meyer has the power to appoint replacements, but those appointments also require State Senate confirmation. That means legislators would have to return to Dover for a special session. It is not clear why the appointments were not made during the six months the General Assembly was in regular session this year, when the governor’s office made similar appointments nearly every month.
A spokesperson for Meyer’s office said the public could expect “significant movement” on the vacancies within the next week, as of August 5, 2026. No details about the recruitment process were provided.
No Oversight Body Is Watching the Upcoming Election
The board’s absence is not just a procedural gap. With a midterm primary weeks away, there is currently no active oversight body reviewing how county election officials are preparing, handling complaints, or securing ballots.
In April 2026, Meyer’s office created an Election Security Task Force to review protocols and, per the governor’s office, to “safeguard Delaware from unconstitutional federal interference.” But that task force is separate from the statutory Board of Elections and does not replace its oversight functions.
“Significant movement”
Governor Matt Meyer’s office, responding to questions about board vacancies, August 2026
The governor’s office has not explained what “significant movement” means, whether nominees have been identified, or whether a special session has been scheduled.
What You Can Do Now
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Call Gov. Matt Meyer’s office at (302) 744-4101 and ask his staff to name a timeline for board nominations. Tell them the primary is in September and the state cannot go into it without a functioning elections oversight board.
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Contact your Delaware state senator and ask them to commit to convening a special session to confirm board appointments before the primary. Find your senator at legis.delaware.gov/Senateleg.
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Submit a public records request to the Delaware Department of Elections asking for documentation of the cancellation notices for each 2026 board meeting and any correspondence about recruitment. Delaware FOIA requests can be filed at foia.delaware.gov.
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Ask your local county election office (New Castle, Kent, or Sussex) what oversight mechanisms are in place during the board vacancy. Their contact information is listed at elections.delaware.gov.
Sources
Delaware Spotlight: Delaware Elections Board Has Not Met Since November Before Primary
Delaware Department of Elections: Board of Elections Official Page
Delaware General Assembly: Senate Confirmation Process for Governor Appointments