AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Delaware on Election Day

By ANNETTE FELDMAN and MAYA SWEEDLER The Associated Press

Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester speaks during the reopening of the St. George's bridge after its been closed for 18 months in New Castle County, Del., on Friday Oct., 11, 2024. (Tyger Williams/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Tyger Williams]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Delaware voters will select replacements for some of the state’s most prominent elected officials in the Nov. 5 general election.

At the top of the ballot, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, Republican former President Donald Trump and three third-party candidates will compete for the state’s three electoral votes in the race to replace Democratic President Joe Biden, who served 36 years representing Delaware in the U.S. Senate.

Gov. John Carney and U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, both Democrats, are also not seeking reelection after holding various elected positions in Delaware for more than 70 years combined. Carper is retiring, while Carney is running to be mayor of Wilmington.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester is running to replace Carper. She has held the state’s sole U.S. House seat since 2017 and is the first African American and the first woman to represent Delaware in Congress. If Blunt Rochester wins, she could become the third Black woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate and the first since Harris assumed the vice presidency.

Democratic state Sen. Sarah McBride is running to replace Blunt Rochester in the U.S. House. If she wins, she would be the first transgender federal elected official and the youngest Delaware has sent to Washington since Biden won a Senate seat in 1972.

Delaware was once one of the most reliable presidential bellwethers of the 20th century but it has not voted for a Republican in the last eight presidential elections, dating back to 1992. Delaware Republicans have not won the governorship since 1988, a U.S. Senate seat since 1994 or a U.S. House seat since 2008.

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it has determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

Here’s a look at what to expect in the 2024 election in Delaware:

Election Day

Nov. 5.

Poll closing time

8 p.m. ET.

Presidential electoral votes

3 awarded to statewide winner.

Key races and candidates

President: Harris (D) vs. Trump (R) vs. Vermin Supreme (Constitution) vs. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Independent Party of Delaware) vs. Chase Oliver (Libertarian).

U.S. Senate: Blunt Rochester (D) vs. Eric Hansen (R) vs. Michael Katz (Independent Party of Delaware).

Governor: Matt Meyer (D) vs. Mike Ramone (R).

Other races of interest

U.S. House, state Senate, state House, lieutenant governor, insurance commissioner and Wilmington mayor.

Past presidential results

2020: Biden (D) 59%, Trump (R) 40%, AP race call: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, 8 p.m. ET.

Voter registration and turnout

Registered voters: 786,577 (as of Oct. 1, 2024). About 45% Democrats, 26% Republicans and 23% no party.

Voter turnout in 2020 presidential election: 68% of registered voters.

Pre-Election Day voting

Votes cast before Election Day 2020: about 32% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2022: about 24% of the total vote.

Votes cast before Election Day 2024: See AP Advance Vote tracker.

How long does vote-counting take?

First votes reported, Nov. 3, 2020: 8:16 p.m. ET.

By midnight ET: about 99% of total votes cast were reported.

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Associated Press writer Maya Sweedler contributed to this report.

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Read more about how U.S. elections work at Explaining Election 2024, a series from The Associated Press aimed at helping make sense of the American democracy. The AP receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.