Even though Republicans outnumber them, one in three Sussex Democrats has already voted, with Sussex Republicans next highest at nearly one in four.

(Numbers reflect votes cast as of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. Early voting continues through Sunday, Nov. 1.)

DOVER, Del. — One in three registered Democrats in Sussex County had already voted by Wednesday, the highest share of any group in Table 1, according to Department of Elections records obtained by Delaware LIVE.

That stands out in a county where Republicans outnumber Democrats. Sussex has about 10,600 more registered Republicans than Democrats, but more Democrats have voted so far, 22,480 to 17,905. See Table 1.

Statewide, Delaware had 809,886 registered voters as of Oct. 1, the state’s most recent count. By Wednesday, 104,746 of them had voted early or by absentee ballot, about 13%.

Table 1: Delaware early and absentee voters, by county and party

(Nov. 3, 2026 general election. Ballots cast as of 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28. Party is how voters are registered, not how they voted. “Everyone else” means registered as neither Democrat nor Republican.)

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Party
registration
Registered voters
Oct. 1, 2026
Voted as of
Oct. 28
(% of registered)

New Castle County

Democrats
209,850
25,831 (12%)

Republicans
82,007
6,380 (8%)

Everyone else
148,897
6,585 (4%)

Kent County

Democrats
54,672
8,337 (15%)

Republicans
38,791
4,553 (12%)

Everyone else
55,075
2,982 (5%)

Sussex County

Democrats
68,249
22,480 (33%)

Republicans
78,849
17,905 (23%)

Everyone else
73,496
9,693 (13%)

Statewide

Democrats
332,771
56,648 (17%)

Republicans
199,647
28,838 (14%)

Everyone else
277,468
19,260 (7%)

All voters
809,886
104,746 (13%)

(Sources: Delaware Department of Elections, Election Voted List, obtained by Delaware LIVE [Oct. 29, 2026], and Voter Registration Totals by Political Party [Oct. 1, 2026]. Registered voter totals are as of Oct. 1; registration closed Oct. 10. “Everyone else” includes voters with no party and voters registered with other parties or categories. Percentages calculated by the author.)

What the numbers show

• In every county, a higher share of Democrats than Republicans has voted early or by absentee ballot. Statewide, 17% of Democrats have voted, compared with 14% of Republicans.
• Republicans are showing up too. Republicans make up 25% of registered voters but 28% of the people who have voted so far. And Sussex Republicans are voting at a higher rate than Democrats in New Castle or Kent.
• Sussex is far ahead of the other counties. Nearly 23% of all Sussex voters have voted, compared with 11% in Kent and 9% in New Castle.
• Voters with neither party are furthest behind so far. People registered as neither Democrats nor Republicans make up 34% of registered voters but only 18% of the people who have voted.

What the numbers don’t show

These records show who voted, not how they voted. A Democrat or Republican can vote for any candidate in November. And many voters, of every party, wait until Election Day.

How it compares with 2024

In 2024, by the end of early voting, 43% of registered Sussex voters had voted early in person, compared with 19% in New Castle, as Delaware LIVE reported Oct. 19.

This year, with four days still left, 20% of Sussex voters and 7% of New Castle voters have already voted early in person, not counting absentee ballots, based on the state’s early voting count as of 3 p.m. Wednesday. Sussex is again far ahead.

There’s still time

Early voting ends Sunday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. Find sites and hours in our early voting guide, and everything on your ballot in the 2026 Voters Guide.