SEAFORD, Del. - House Substitute 1 for House Bill 121 would update the charter of the City of Seaford to allow businesses or corporations in Seaford to each designate one person to cast one vote in municipal elections for their business.
Common Cause Delaware says it's not fair for out of town business owners to vote twice, once where they live and once in Seaford.
"This bill is essentially voter suppression from the other way," says Executive Director Claire Snyder-Hall. "It's voter dilusion, so instead of blocking residents of Seaford from voting, this bill will dilute their vote by allowing artificial entities owned by people who don't live in Seaford to cancel out the votes of Seaford residents."
Seaford Mayor David Genshaw says Seaford businesses already vote in annexations and proposed taxes in the city. He says the city has been talking about giving them a right to vote in municipal elections for years and that they're modeling this charter change after other towns that already let businesses vote like Fenwick Island and Henlopen Acres.
"These are the people we're trying to attract to our community that we're asking to invest, to hire," says Mayor David Genshaw. "Why wouldn't we want to give them a right to vote? I find it hard to believe, who wouldn't want that to happen? These are folks that have fully invested in their community with the money, with their time, with their sweat. We want them to have a voice if they choose to take it."
Seaford's next municipal election is in April 2024.