Nonhumans can continue voting in beach town after judge tosses ACLU's challenge
A Delaware judge has ruled that nonhuman entities can continue to vote in Fenwick Island elections, dismissing a challenge from the ACLU. The town's charter allows corporations and other artificial entities to vote if they own property in the area. This ruling maintains a voting system that contrasts with the traditional principle of one person, one vote.
- ▪In the 2024 elections, about one-fourth of the votes in Fenwick Island came from nonhuman entities.
- ▪The ACLU filed a lawsuit arguing that allowing nonhumans to vote violates the principle of free and equal elections.
- ▪The judge ruled that the ACLU did not provide sufficient evidence to prove that nonhuman voting made elections not free or equal.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
FacebookTwitterEmail First State Focus ‘The stuff of science fiction’: Nonhumans can continue voting in Delaware beach town after judge tosses ACLU’s challenge State lawmakers let Fenwick Island change its charter in 2008 to permit voting by corporations, trusts and other “artificial" entities. ByCris BarrishJune 3, 2026 About one-fourth of the votes in Fenwick island's 2024 elections were from non-human "artificial" entities that own of the town's approximately 800 properties. (Town of Fenwick Island) What are journalists missing from the state of Delaware? What would you most like WHYY News to cover? Let us know.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at WHYY.
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