A controversial court ruling in Delaware is igniting outrage online after a state judge determined that corporations and other “artificial entities” can now legally vote in some local elections. The decision has prompted critics to warn that the boundaries of corporate influence in American politics are expanding even further.
The ruling, issued Tuesday by Delaware Superior Court Judge Craig Karsnitz, focused on the coastal town of Fenwick Island, where corporations, trusts, partnerships, and limited liability companies that own property are permitted to cast votes in municipal elections. According to court records, more than 200 non-human entities are currently registered voters in the town, accounting for roughly 12 percent of the voting population.
The case was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware, which argued that allowing artificial entities to vote violates the Delaware Constitution and dilutes the political power of actual residents. The organization warned that a state with more than 2 million registered business entities, or nearly double Delaware’s human population, could become a testing ground for unprecedented corporate political power.
Karsnitz dismissed the lawsuit in a 19-page opinion, writing that Delaware law already recognizes corporations and other legal entities as “persons” under certain statutes. He also rejected claims that entity voting unfairly discriminates against natural persons or undermines constitutional protections. “Visions of faceless large corporations or even HAL controlling a small town are frightening and the stuff of science fiction,” the judge wrote, referencing the artificial intelligence villain from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
People online are mocking the ruling
The decision immediately exploded across social media platforms, where critics compared the ruling to a dystopian extension of the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision, which declared corporate political spending protected speech under the First Amendment.
One widely upvoted Reddit commenter joked, “Let’s see what the Senator from Meta has to say about this,” mocking the possibility of corporations one day wielding direct electoral power. Another viral response read, “I’ll believe corporations are people when Texas executes one.” Others expressed concern that wealthy investors could exploit the ruling by creating multiple shell companies tied to small parcels of land, potentially multiplying their voting influence in local elections.
“So, create an LLC, base it in [state], vote in election. Repeat,” claims another commenter. The case, American Civil Liberties Union of Delaware v. Town of Fenwick Island, may now face further appeals as opponents push to overturn the decision, as it highlights a growing national debate over corporate personhood and whether businesses should enjoy rights traditionally reserved for living citizens.
