FENWICK ISLAND, Del. - The ACLU of Delaware announced on June 2 that it plans to appeal the dismissal of its lawsuit challenging Fenwick Island’s practice of allowing certain non-human entities, including corporations and limited liability companies, to vote in municipal elections.
ACLU Delaware said the appeal will be filed with the Delaware Supreme Court following a recent ruling by Judge Craig A. Karsnitz dismissing the case.
“One person, one vote’ is a foundational principal to American democracy, and this dismissal endangers that,” states ACLU-DE Civic Engagement Counsel Andrew Bernstein. “Allowing corporations to vote in Delaware, where over two million artificial business entities are incorporated, can drastically undermine the voting power of real, human Delawareans.”
The lawsuit, originally filed in December 2025, argues that only human beings should be allowed to cast ballots in state and local elections. ACLU Delaware claims that allowing artificial entities to vote dilutes the voting power of human voters.
The Mayor of Fenwick Island, Natalie Magdeburger, previously told CoastTV that these voting rights for entities mostly apply to business property owners, small businesses that have had a presence in Fenwick Island for years.
The organization said the case has attracted national attention and raised concerns among some observers about the potential impact of corporate voting on elections if Delaware establishes a legal precedent permitting non-human entities to vote. The ACLU also cited recent changes to federal voting rights protections as part of the broader context surrounding the case.
