Delaware weekly roundup: Early voting guide; Rural remote work; Barclays layoff

Welcome to the roundup of the latest from Delaware's tech and entrepreneurship scene. Want this in your inbox? Subscribe for free.

What to know if you’re voting early

Early voting in Delaware started on Oct. 25. Every county has multiple early voting places set up with the same secure machines as on Election Day.

If you’re going to be busy or out of town on Nov. 5, or if you just want to get your vote submitted as soon as possible, early in-person voting is an easy way to get it done, with no special permission required. 

Not sure where to go or what you need to bring? Read on.

➡️ Learn more about early voting in Delaware

Working remote in small-town Smyrna

Meet Kristen Brown, operations manager for the American Occupational Therapy Association and Delaware remote worker.

In this How I Got Here entry, read about how Kristen found her career passion, when she knew technology was the key to her job and how to navigate remote work in a small town or rural area with few remote work resources. 

➡️ Read Kristen’s How I Got Here

News Incubator: What else to know today

• Barclays laid off two dozen workers at its Riverfront Wilmington location last week. A spokesman said that a recent review found job redundancies. [Town Square Delaware]

• Some voters in Newark waited as long as three hours to cast their vote early. Early voting in Delaware runs through Nov. 3. [Newark Post]

• La Esperanza has helped thousands of people from Mexico, Guatemala and Haiti become Delawareans, offering immigration services even in the middle of the night. [Spotlight Delaware]

• Marijuana is legal in Delaware, but municipal bans and a delay in the Wilmington City Council may slow down an already drawn-out process of opening recreational retail shops. [Delaware Business Now/Technical.ly]

• Delaware produces less energy than any other state. A new community solar project with Chaberton Energy in Harrington aims to increase the state’s homegrown renewable energy. [Delaware Public Media]

• Wilmington City Council approved $10 million from the city’s excess savings for a downtown education hub in part of the Bracebridge campus. The project has the potential to be highly impactful for children and adults in historically under-resourced neighborhoods. [Spotlight Delaware/Technical.ly]

• Delaware Park is expanding again, this time with a $5 million open-air slot patio, brewpub and steakhouse. Outdoor gaming has become increasingly popular since the pandemic. [Delaware Business Times]

• The Verge takes a stand on the 2024 election, the importance of collective action in tech and the mounting threat of unregulated future technology. [The Verge]

• Donald Trump signals that he may dismantle the CHIPS and Science Act. The 2022 federal statute authorized funding for semiconductor manufacturing in the US and established federally recognized Tech Hubs across the country. [New York Times/Technical.ly]

Meet the startups in Comcast’s AI accelerator

It takes a lot to impress the folks at Lift Labs. The Comcast NBCUniversal accelerator program has been boosting promising startups since 2013, helping companies build toward enterprise-level partnerships with big corporations like Comcast itself.

The latest cohort is full of founders with ideas of how to address some of the most promising applications of AI. They hail from across the country, with a bias toward California but also Philadelphia and New York. These eight startups are ones to watch in the AI space.

➡️  Meet the latest Lift Labs accelerator cohort

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🗓️ On the Calendar

• Wednesday, Oct. 30 — “Hood Feminism” Reproductive Justice Book Talk with Mikki Kendall at the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew, 6 p.m. [Details]

• Thursday, Oct. 31 — Haunted Ghostown Halloween Party at Enigma Delaware, 9 p.m. [Details]

• Friday, Nov. 1 — The Rocky Horror Picture Show at Theatre N, 10 p.m. [Details]

• Partner Event: The Young Smart & Local conference is back for another year. Join 1,000+ emerging professionals and mentors in Philadelphia on Nov. 12-14 for learning, networking and fun. [Register here]