Board for Registration of Voters — Burlington, VT
Date: 2025-07-01
Time: 18:00

Board for Registration of Voters



 Tuesday, July 1, 2025, 6:00 PM,

 City Hall, 1st Floor, 149 Church Street, Burlington, VT, 05401 OR remotely via Zoom.



Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/93712437108
Meeting ID: 937 1243 7108
1. Call Meeting to Order

2. Adopt Agenda
 2.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda

3. Set Meeting Length

4. Introductions

5. Member Position Nominations

6. Adopt Minutes
 6.1. Motion to adopt previous meeting's minutes
 File Attachments
 1. BRV Minutes 6/3/25 BRV Minutes 6/3/25.pdf

7. Public Forum

8. Clerk's Report

9. Approval of Voter Challenges

10. Biennial Challenge (Discussion)
 10.1. Biennial Challenge Process Informatation and Proposal
 File Attachments
 1. Biennial Challenge Process Proposal Biennial Challenge Process Proposal.docx

11. Annual Board report to City Council (Approval)
  11.1. Approve Annual Report to City Council
  File Attachments
  1. BRV Annual Report FY25 - DRAFT BRV Annual Report FY25 - DRAFT.docx

12. Board Member Expectations
  12.1. Board Member Expectation Discussion


  File Attachments
  1. BRV Rules Procedures (Jun 1 2021) BRV Rules Procedures (Jun 1 2021).pdf

13. New Business

14. Adjournment
  14.1. Motion to Adjourn

Board for Registration of Voters



 Tuesday, July 1, 2025, 6:00 PM,

 City Hall, 1st Floor, 149 Church Street, Burlington, VT, 05401 OR remotely via Zoom.



Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/93712437108
Meeting ID: 937 1243 7108
1. Call Meeting to Order

2. Adopt Agenda
 2.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda

3. Set Meeting Length

4. Introductions

5. Member Position Nominations

6. Adopt Minutes
 6.1. Motion to adopt previous meeting's minutes
 File Attachments
 1. BRV Minutes 6/3/25 BRV Minutes 6/3/25.pdf

7. Public Forum

8. Clerk's Report

9. Approval of Voter Challenges

10. Biennial Challenge (Discussion)
 10.1. Biennial Challenge Process Informatation and Proposal
 File Attachments
 1. Biennial Challenge Process Proposal Biennial Challenge Process Proposal.docx

11. Annual Board report to City Council (Approval)



 Page 1 of 12
  11.1. Approve Annual Report to City Council
  File Attachments
  1. BRV Annual Report FY25 - DRAFT BRV Annual Report FY25 - DRAFT.docx

12. Board Member Expectations
  12.1. Board Member Expectation Discussion


  File Attachments
  1. BRV Rules Procedures (Jun 1 2021) BRV Rules Procedures (Jun 1 2021).pdf

13. New Business

14. Adjournment
  14.1. Motion to Adjourn




 Page 2 of 12
 BURLINGTON BOARD FOR REGISTRATION OF VOTERS
 CITY HALL, 149 CHURCH STREET, 1ST FLOOR OR REMOTELY VIA ZOOM.

 MINUTES OF MEETING
 June 3, 2025




1. Call Meeting to Order
1. Call Meeting to Order
Meeting called to order by Chair Grace Grundhauser at 6:00pm

Present: Alison Harte, Grace Grundhauser, Michelle Lefkowitz, Karen Rowell, Colleen Montgomery, Lesley
Gendron, Alex Demoly, Lauren Ebersol, Annie Schneider

Absent: Mike McGarghan, Jeanne Keller, Youth Member Will Cunningham

Also Present: Sarah Montgomery, Assistant City Clerk

2. Agenda
2. Agenda
Colleen Montgomery made a motion to adopt the agenda. Seconded by Michelle Lefkowitz. The motion
passed unanimously.

3. Meeting Length
3. Meeting Length
The meeting length was set to one hour.

4. Adopt Minutes
4. Adopt Minutes
Alison Harte made a motion to adopt the minutes. Coleen Montgomery seconded. Passed unanimously.

5. Public Forum
5. Public Forum
No members of the public were present.

6. Clerk's Report
6. Clerk's Report
Sarah Montgomery reported that there are currently 29,124 registered voters in Burlington. Out of those,
5,035 are challenged. In May: 140 new voter registrations were processed, 86 voters were removed from the
checklist, and 97 voters were transferred out of Burlington into other Vermont towns. Sarah noted that the
larger number of purges reflects responses to challenge letters and also a high volume of out-of-state
notifications.

Sarah Montgomery reported that the new election management system is now active. The state hasn't made
all the anticipated functionality live yet, but all the data has been successfully transferred, and the voter
registration is working well. The state is continuing to solicit feedback from clerks and make updates as




 Page 3 of 12
necessary. Sarah will ensure that all members receive information to activate their new accounts and will
share the voter portal link (vote.vermont.gov).

Sarah Montgomery reported that four residents applied for the four seats that were open for applications on
the board. Appointments are expected to take place at the 6/16 City Council meeting. Colleen Montgomery
asked if this is the usual level of interest that is received. Sarah answered that sometimes there are more
applicants than available seats - it seems to depend on how much advertising the board does for the
vacancies. Grace Grundhauser asked if the agenda packet for the 6/16 City Council meeting has been posted
yet. Sarah Montgomery answered no, but the appointment selection committee agenda has been posted,
which includes the applicants' applications.


7. Approval of Voter Challenges
7. Approval of Voter Challenges
Colleen Montgomery asked if one of the names on the challenge list was the voter the board discussed at the
prior meeting. Sarah Montgomery answered no and that the board had already voted to challenge him at the
last meeting. The Clerk's office has not received a response to that challenge letter. Alison Harte asked what
no response means. Sarah answered that if a voter does not respond to a challenge letter, they will remain
challenged on our checklist for two general elections and only after that can the board vote to remove them.

Grace Grundhauser asked if there is a reason there are voters on the list based on the undeliverable Annual
City Election ballots, rather than having them included with the large batch last month. Sarah Montgomery
answered that these were returned to our office by the USPS within the past month.

Grace Grundhauser asked if it would be helpful to present more data with these challenged voter lists. The
board would like the voter's address and ward included in the data. Sarah Montgomery agreed that her office
can provide the board with that data moving forward.

Lesley Gendron made a motion to challenge the listed voters. Seconded by Karen Rowell. Passed
unanaimusly.

8. Annual Board report to City Council (Discussion)
8. Annual Board report to City Council (Discussion)
Grace Grundhauser shared the FY24 Annual Report that the board submitted to City Council. She noted that
the board would discuss the report at this meeting and approve a final copy at the July meeting. Grace
outlined the structure and content of the report as it was submitted last year.

Grace Grundhauser asked for feedback from the board about what should be included in the report for FY25.

Alison Harte noted that since she has been on the board, they haven't done voter registration drives.

Lesley Gendron said there was the poster creation and distribution to encourage voter registration. She
added that the creation of the procedural flow chart could be included.

Alison Harte asked if the turnover from the previous fiscal year was unusual. Grace Grundhauser answered
that she thought it was.

Lauren Ebersol noted the board's strong training program and strong work around volunteer recruitment.

Colleen Montgomery noted that the polling places on Election Day were quieter than expected, likely due to
increased early voting. Alison Harte noted that the decrease of in-person voting has changed the role of BRV
members.

Alison Harte suggested including the number of All Legal Resident voters.

Grace Grundhauser noted that in ward 8, she has seen an increased volume in helping homeless voters with
registration. She asked other members if they had this same experience. The majority of members have not
seen an increase, but agreed sharing information in the report could be helpful.

Lauren Ebersol asked if something should be reported about the student voter population, and the volume of




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address changes and registration updates that go along with this.

Grace Grundhauser will draft a revised report and share it with the board for approval next month.

9. Board Member Roles
9. Board Member Roles
The board discussed different roles that members could fill to help alleviate some of the work of the chair.

Suggestions included a parliamentarian (someone to ensure meeting rules), a volunteer coordinator
(coordinate volunteers around elections), and an outreach coordinator.

Lesley Gendron suggested someone to manage the guides and procedures; Grace Grundhauser suggested
calling it Guidance Authority.

Annie Schneider suggested that the outreach person could coordinate events and ensure a presence at
certain events. Colleen Montgomery said this seems like something all members should always be thinking
about. Grace Grundhauser agreed that all members should be thinking about it, but it could be helpful to
have someone actually do the work. Colleen Montgomery said that some of these roles could be better
assigned ad hoc, as events pop up, etc. to cater to specific skills. She noted that, for example, volunteer
coordination alone does not seem to necessitate a whole role. Lauren Ebersol suggested that some items
could be combined into one position for items that wouldn't necessarily fill a whole role. Annie Schneider said
the roles don't need to be formally elected, but having a person/ people assigned specifically might help
ensure that attention is specifically given to that item. Colleen Montgomery said outreach seems well suited
to a committee. Alison Harte said it could be helpful to add outreach or events as a standing item on the
agenda so it is continually discussed. Lauren suggested adding something like a committee report item to the
agenda, where assigned members could report on their specialized areas. Grace Grundhauser is leaning
toward having the specified roles. It wouldn't bar anything else from working on that item, but it would help
provide accountability for those items.

Grace Grundhauser suggested a member doing outreach specifically to residents whose first language is not
English. Karen Rowell added that outreach should also be done on platforms besides Front Porch Forum.
Lauren Ebersol asked if there is any funding available through the City to help with translation or
interpretation. Sarah Montgomery answered that it would likely depend on the project and if existing
materials could be used. Alex Demoly suggested working through existing channels to see who we can
partner with for language access, such as AALV, the King Street Center, or the state's refugee resettlement
offices. Grace added that Michelle Lefkowitz had previously suggested attending naturalization ceremonies
for voter registration outreach. Grace added that if a role was created to focus on these specific outreach
connections, the person could explore these items further. This role could also be assigned to better
understand and educate the board about legal resident voting logistics and implications.

Grace Grundhauser also suggested a student liaison role, to do outreach to college students and increase
communications to this population. Lauren Ebersol agreed that this would be important because she has
heard scenarios where students are receiving inaccurate information. Lauren suggested the existing UVM
community engagement forum as another avenue to make these connections.

Grace Grundhauser suggested that nominations for these roles happen at the next meeting. Lauren Ebersol
suggested having a set list of positions. Grace Grundhauaser agreed to create a proposed list. The board
doesn't need to be limited by the proposed list and the listed positions don't all need to be nominated for, but
it will reflect the ideas already generated.

10. New Business
10. New Business
Colleen Montgomery asked if board expectations would be discussed at the July meeting when new members
have come on board. Grace Grundhauser said that if board members want to add an agenda item to the
agenda, they should make a motion to add it to a future meeting agenda.

Colleen Montgomery made a motion to add a discussion about board member expectations to the July
agenda. Alison Harte seconded. Passed unanimously.

Alex Demoly said it has been a pleasure to serve on the board. He encouraged the board to recruit young




 Page 5 of 12
people moving forward - to help young people who are interested in governance, not politics, have this
education and experience.

11. Adjournment
11. Adjournment
Lesley Genfron made a motion to adjourn. Seconded by Lauren Ebersol. Passed unanimously.




 Page 6 of 12
Board for Registration of Voters: Biennial Challenge Process

17 V.S.A. § 2150 (c): “In addition to any actions it takes under subsections (a) and (b) of this section, by
September 15 of each odd-numbered year the board of civil authority shall review the most recent
checklist name by name and consider, for each person whose name appears on the checklist, whether
that person is still qualified to vote. In every case where the board of civil authority is unable to
determine under subdivisions (d)(1) and (2) of this section that a person is still qualified to vote, the
board of civil authority or, upon request of the board, the town clerk shall send a written notice to the
person and take appropriate action as provided in subdivisions (d)(3) through (5) of this section. The
intent is that when this process is completed there will have been some confirmation or indication of
continued eligibility for each person whose name remains on the updated checklist.”

Process Proposal:

1. Unless a BRV member has a specific reason to question their qualifications, remove any voters who
 have voted or registered in the past 4 years from BRV consideration. These voters will remain active
 on the checklist.
2. Using other official and unofficial public records and documents, BRV evaluates the remaining list of
 active voters (those who have not voted or registered in the past 4 years) to attempt to determine if
 a voter is still eligible to vote in Burlington. These public records may include telephone directories,
 city directories, newspapers, death certificates, obituaries (or other public notices of death), tax
 records. After conducting this inquiry:
 o Voters that are found to be qualified to vote in Burlington shall remain active on the checklist.
 o Voters that are found to be deceased will be removed from the checklist.
 o Voters that are found to otherwise not be qualified to vote in Burlington will be challenged
 and will be sent a written notice.
 o In cases where the voter’s continued eligibility is not clear either way, the voter will be
 challenged and will be sent a written notice.*

*The Board should not challenge solely based on inactivity (ex: we know someone still lives at the
address they have listed in their voter registration, but they haven’t voted in 10 years), but inactivity can
be used as an indicator that a voter may no longer reside in Burlington and therefore no longer be
eligible to vote.

2023 Process:

 • Step 1: Using death records, remove all deceased voters from the checklist
 • Step 2: Generate full Checklist of ACTIVE voters
 • Step 3: Using participation reports, subtract voters who have voted in the past 4 years
 • Step 4: Using registration dates, subtract voters who registered to vote within the past 4 years
 • Step 5: Using the city’s property database, subtract voters who are registered to vote at the
 property address that they own
 • Step 6: Using the city’s dog registration database, subtract voters who are registered to vote at
 the same address where they have registered a dog
 • Step 7: Using the DMV database, subtract voters whose current VT ID address matches the
 address where they are registered to vote
 • Step 8: The remaining voters are presented to the board for consideration to challenge




 Page 7 of 12
To: Members, Burlington City Council
From: Board for Registration of Voters
Date: July 1, 2025
Re: FY2025 Annual Report


The Board for Registration of Voters (BRV) receives its authority from the Burlington City Charter § 43
which asks the 12 members of the BRV to (1) review and take lawful action on additions, corrections,
alterations, and removals of voters to the voter checklist; (2) work at the polls on Election Day on voter
registration related issues (i.e., challenge process issues, address and name changes, omission from the
checklist, verification issues, etc.); (3) attend and participate in monthly and special board meetings; and
(4) participate in Board sponsored voter outreach activities.1

The Board’s primary responsibility is to maintain the Burlington City Voter checklist. Our usual meeting
time is the first Tuesday of the month at 6:00 PM. Meetings are held at the Police Department on North
Avenue or City Hall in the Sharon Bushor Conference Room with a virtual option via Zoom. Notices of
meetings are posted at City Hall, the Department of Public Works, Fletcher Free Library, and on the City
of Burlington’s website at https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/750/Board-for-Registration-of-Voters. Zoom
links are published at the top of each agenda.

In fiscal year 2025, 4,035 new voters were added to Burlington’s voter checklist, 5,344 voters were
deleted from the checklist, and 2,401 voters were transferred to other Vermont towns. Currently, there
are 29,081 registered voters in Burlington, including 128 Legal Resident voters. 4,950 of these registered
voters are challenged.

Since our last report, Alexandre Demoly left the board after his term ended in June 2025, and Olga Bravo
left the board before her term ended. Kevin Lewis and Adam Franz were appointed as new members.
BRV members reelected Grace Grundhauser as chair of the Board and Michelle Lefkowitz vice chair in
FY25.

During elections, BRV members are stationed at the polls in each ward from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM to
assist voters in matters concerning voter eligibility, checklist corrections, voter challenges, and address
changes. BRV members use City-provided laptops to access the statewide voter checklist and the
Burlington ward and district look-up tool. During FY25, BRV members worked at the State Primary
Election on August 13, 2024, the General Election on November 5, 2024 and the Annual City Election on
March 4, 2025. The BRV recruits and trains volunteers to support BRV members at the polls by assisting
with tasks not requiring BRV sign off. The BRV hosts training sessions at City Hall for BRV members and
volunteers the week before an election as standard practice. The BRV successfully recruited many new
volunteers for the November 2024 General Election.

Through the years, the BRV has benefited from the participation of high school youth members. Youth
members actively participate in meetings and have the option to work at the polls on Election Day.


1 https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/750/Board-for-Registration-of-Voters




 Page 8 of 12
BRV’s current youth member, Will Cunningham, was appointed in September 2023 in cooperation with
CEDO's Youth on Boards Program. The BRV hopes to continue recruiting high school volunteers to assist
our work during elections.

The BRV continues to refine its Election Day handbook for member and volunteer orientation and
training purposes. The handbook was last updated for the Vermont Senate Primary Election in August
2024, to update the sections on Challenged Voters and Voter ID and to add a new section with guidance
on voters who are homeless. A new Election Day Flow Chart is being developed to help BRV members
choose the correct form to help voters at the polls.

On Election Days this past year, the Board observed that polling places were quieter than expected,
likely due to increased early voting. In Ward 8, more voters benefitted from in-person conversations
clarifying how individuals experiencing homelessness can register to vote. The Board also found that in
wards with high student populations, a significant portion of voter assistance involved clarifying address
changes. To promote early registration, the Board prepared posters for Burlington-area high schools
highlighting that students who will turn 18 before the next General Election are eligible to register in
advance. Looking ahead, the Board hopes to resume voter registration drives, which have been on
pause for several years. The Board also looks forward to learning and utilizing the new election
management system launched by the Vermont Secretary of State in April 2025.

Submitted by Grace Grundhauser, Chair, Board for Registration of Voters




 Page 9 of 12
Board for Registration of Voters Annual Report Sign-Off FY25:

Grace Grundhauser, Chair: _______________________________

Michelle Lefkowitz, Vice Chair: ____________________________

Lauren Ebersol: ________________________________________

Adam Franz: ___________________________________________

Kevin Lewis: ____________________________________________

Lesley Gendron: _________________________________________

Alison Harte: ____________________________________________

Jeanne Keller: ___________________________________________

Michael McGarghan: ______________________________________

Colleen Montgomery: _____________________________________

Karen Rowell: ____________________________________________

Anna Schneider: __________________________________________




 Page 10 of 12
Rules and Procedures for the Board for the Registration of Voters
(Proposal 6-1-2021)

PURPOSE: The Board for Registration of Voters is committed to the enfranchisement of eligible
residents through the voting process. Voting is a right and responsibility. The Board
encourages voter registration and acknowledges the right of voters to freely participate in
elections. The Board may actively initiate and participate in voter registration outreach.
The Board’s legal responsibility is to maintain the voting checklist for the City of Burlington by
upholding the Vermont Election Laws (Title 17 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated).

AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The Board for Registration of Voters is responsible for and
has authority for all duties with respect to preparing The City of Burlington’s voter checklist
pursuant to chapters 14, 15, 16 and 43 of the City’s Charter, and Title 17 of the Vermont
Statutes Annotated. The Board shall comply with the Vermont Open Meeting Law and other
laws covering public bodies.

In order to effectively and justly carry out its responsibilities all members will be expected to
familiarize themselves with the Vermont Election Law in Title 17 of the Vermont Statutes
Annotated, along with pertinent sections of the Burlington City Charter. The Board will
maintain an office in City Hall, wherein shall be kept available for public inspection the records
of all legal voters. The Board shall advise any petitioner affected by an adverse decision of his
or her statutory right to be included in the list of legal voters to seek judicial review of such
decision.

MEMBERSHIP: As established by the City-Charter, the Board for Registration of Voters shall
consist of 12 registered Voters of the City of Burlington, appointed by the City Council, with the
Mayor presiding. Appointments to the Board for Registration of Voters shall be for five (5)
years. Members may reapply and may be appointed for successive terms without limitation.
Members of the Board may be removed for incapacity, negligence, or bad conduct when a
majority of the City Council, Mayor presiding vote to remove the member pursuant to Chapter
129 of the Burlington City Charter. In addition and pursuant to this same section, when in the
judgment of two-thirds of the City Council, on the initiative of the Mayor, a member is no
longer effectively serving the city, that member may be removed from the Board.

Therefore because members are expected to actively participate in city elections, meetings and
other Board activities, a member’s continued non-participation in Board activities may result in
the Board’s recommendation to the City Council for removal from the Board. A two-third
majority vote of the Board is required for such a recommendation to the City Council.




 Page 11 of 12
OFFICERS: At the first meeting of the Board, following the annual appointments, the Board
shall elect a Chair by majority vote. A Vice Chair and Secretary may be elected at the discretion
of the Board. Terms of office shall be one year.
QUORUM: A simple majority of the Board shall be considered a quorum
MEETINGS AND MINUTES: The Board for Registration of Voters shall hold meetings on the first
Tuesday of each month unless otherwise determined by a majority vote of the Board.
Additional meetings are scheduled to accommodate closing of the checklist prior to elections
(Vermont Statute Annotated, Title 17). All meetings of the Board shall be open to the public
except at such times when an executive session is in order. No action shall be taken at any
meeting of the Board without a quorum present. No action shall be taken in executive session.
(See open meeting law)
Roberts Rules of Order revised shall govern proceedings of the Board for all cases which are not
specifically covered by other laws, ordinances, by-laws, or regulations.
Minutes shall be kept of all meetings. The minutes shall be available for public inspection
according to open meeting laws.
WARNINGS OF MEETINGS: In accordance with Vermont Open Meeting Law, the Board shall
provide the Clerk / Treasurer’s Office with notice of regular meetings on or before the Thursday
before the week of the meeting. The Clerk / Treasurer’s Office will warn the meeting. For
special meetings, the Board shall publicly announce at least 24 hours before the meeting the
time, place and purpose with appropriate media and post with the Clerk / Treasurer’s office and
two other public places. Emergency meetings may be held without public announcement,
without posting notices and without 24 hours notices to members, provided some public notice
is given as soon as possible before such meeting.

SPECIAL MEETINGS: Special meetings of the Board for Registration of Voters may be called by
the Chair, when the Chair deems it expedient or upon the request of two (2) members of the
Board for the purpose of transacting any business designated in the call. In accordance with
Vermont Open Meeting Law, Notice for a special meeting may be made by telephone or other
appropriate technology at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the date of such special
meeting. At such special meeting no business shall be voted on other than that specified in the
call.

ADOPTION OF RULES AND PROCEDURES: The Board may adopt rules and procedures as it may
deem wise for the regulation of its work. Rules may be amended by a two-thirds majority
provided that the proposed amendment(s) have been discussed at two meetings prior to the
meeting at which the amendment(s) will be voted upon.




 Page 12 of 12

BURLINGTON BOARD FOR REGISTRATION OF VOTERS
 CITY HALL, 1ST FLOOR, 149 CHURCH STREET, BURLINGTON, VT, 05401 OR
 REMOTELY VIA ZOOM.

 MINUTES OF MEETING
 July 1, 2025




1. Call Meeting to Order
1. Call Meeting to Order
Meeting Called to Order by Chair Grace Grundhauser at 6:00pm

Members Present: Alison Harte, Adam Franz, Michelle Lefkowitz, Grace Grundhauser, Colleen Montgomery,
Jeanne Keller, Kevin Lewis, Lauren Ebersol, Karen Rowell, Lesley Gendron, and Youth Member Will
Cunningham

Members Absent: Annie Schneider

Also Present: Sarah Montgomery, Assistant City Clerk

2. Adopt Agenda
2. Adopt Agenda

2.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda
2.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda
Motion to adopt agenda made by Colleen Montgomery. Seconded by Michelle Lefkowitz. Passed
unaninimously.


3. Set Meeting Length
3. Set Meeting Length
Meeting was set to end at 7pm.

4. Introductions
4. Introductions
All members introduced themselves and shared why they are serving on the board, including the two newly
appointed members, Kevin Lewis and Adam Franz. Kevin Lewis shared that he lives in ward 2 and that he
joined the board to give back to the community. Adam Franz lives in ward 8 and has worked previously as an
inspector of election. He feels very passionately about people having the right to vote.

5. Member Position Nominations
5. Member Position Nominations
Chair: Michelle Lefkowitz nominated Grace Grundhauser. Seconded by Karen Rowell. Passed unanimously.

Vice-Chair: Jeanne Keller nominated Michelle Lefkowitz. Seconded by Karen Rowell. Michelle Lefkowitz made
a motion to nominate Lauren Ebersol and Lesley Gendron. No second. The vote for Michelle Lefkowitz as
Vice-Chair was unanimous.
Parlimentarian: Jeanne Keller nominated Annie Schneider. Seconded by Colleen Montgomery. Grace
Grundhauser nominated Adam Franz, based on a recommendation from Annie Schneider. Seconded by
Michelle Lefkowitz. The vote for Adam Franz as Parliamentarian was unanimous.

Outreach Coordinator: Alison Harte nominated herself. Seconded by Lesley Gendron. Passed unanimously.

Volunteer Coordinator: Lauren Ebersol nominated herself. Seconded by Lesley Gendron. Passed
unanimously.

Language Access Coordinator: Jeanne Keller nominated Annie Schneider. Seconded by Michelle Lefkowitz.
Passeed unanimously.

College Student Liaison: Grace Grundhauser nominated Adam Franz. Seconded by Lesley Gendron. Passed
unanimously.

High School Student Liaison: Alison Harte nominated Will Cunningham. Seconded by Adam Franz. Passed
unanimously.

Resource Coordinator: Lesley Gendron nominated herself. Seconded by Lauren Ebersol. Passed
unanimously.


6. Adopt Minutes
6. Adopt Minutes

6.1. Motion to adopt previous meeting's minutes
File Attachments
1. BRV Minutes 6/3/25 BRV Minutes 6/3/25.pdf

6.1. Motion to adopt previous meeting's minutes
Jeanne Keller made a motion to adopt the minutes as amended to correct a typo. Seconded by Kevin Lewis.
Passed unanimously.

Lesley Gendron asked if there was data showing how many times the minutes were viewed online. Sarah
Montgomery said she would look into whether analytics around that are available. Grace Grundhauser noted
that it would also be interesting to see how often the recordings are viewed.


7. Public Forum
7. Public Forum
No members of the public expressed interest in speaking.

8. Clerk's Report
8. Clerk's Report
Sarah Montgomery reported that there are currently 29,080 registered voters on the checklist. Out of these
voters, 4,945 are currently challenged. In June, 135 new voters were registered, 113 voters were transferred
from Burlington to other Vermont towns, and 86 voters were removed from the checklist.

Sarah Montgomery asked if board members had received activation emails for the new election management
system. Members responded that they had not. Sarah will follow up with the state election team.

Grace Grundhauser asked if there were any new all legal resident registrations within the past month. Sarah
Montgomery answered no.

9. Approval of Voter Challenges
9. Approval of Voter Challenges
Michelle Lefkowitz asked if the ward for each voter was included on the proposed challenge list, as requested
previously by the board. Sarah Montgomery answered that she did include it in the regular monthly
challenges, but was unable to on the challenges due to undeliverable ballots, due to the system-generated
report not including that information.

Grace Grundhauser noted that this challenge process is separate from the biennial challenge process. She
shared that this is the spreadsheet that Sarah Montgomery sent out to the board prior to the meeting, since
the board had previously decided not to post this list publicly.

Jeanne Keller asked if the people on the list due to having undeliverable ballots did not otherwise participate
in the election. Sarah Montgomery confirmed and also shared that voters who had undeliverable ballots, but
had updated their voter registration after the mailing data was pulled would be excluded as well.

Adam Franz asked if the proposed challenges based on property sales would include if a landlord was selling
the property or if that only applied if it was the resident. Sarah Montgomery answered that it would only
result in a proposed challenge if the property sold was also the legal address in the voter registration of the
seller, and if the seller had listed a different address on the transfer form.

Kevin Lewis asked if language barriers could be a factor in someone having an undeliverable piece of mail.
Jeanne Keller said that it would mean that the post office could not deliver the mail, so it is unlikely. Grace
Grundhauser asked if anything happens when a voter is sent a ballot, it doesn't get returned as
undeliverable, but they do not vote. Sarah Montgomery answered that those ballots are marked in the
system as "Unknown, never returned", but it does not trigger a challenge. Jeanne Keller asked if they go on
the challenge list after not voting for a certain period of time. Sarah Montgomery answered no. She clarified
that as part of the biennial challenge process, the board does their due diligence to verify if voters are still
eligible to vote in Burlington. At that time, if the board determines that the voter still resides in Burlington,
but hasn't voted in 10 years, that is not a valid reason to challenge them. Jeanne Keller added that once a
voter is challenged, they are sent a letter that can help them resolve the issue - this may be the stage where
language access could be a barrier.

Michelle Lefkowitz made a motion to approve the monthly challenges. Seconded by Colleen Montgomery. The
vote passed.


10. Biennial Challenge (Discussion)
10. Biennial Challenge (Discussion)

10.1. Biennial Challenge Process Informatation and Proposal
File Attachments
1. Biennial Challenge Process Proposal Biennial Challenge Process Proposal.docx

10.1. Biennial Challenge Process Informatation and Proposal
Grace Grundhauser and Sarah Montgomery clarified that the board was discussing the process at this
meeting and would vote on the actual challenges at a future meeting prior to 9/15, when the challenge
process needs to be completed in order to certify with the state.

The board members reviewed the statute and the process that the board followed during the last biennial
review. Jeanne Keller moved to adopt the process as presented. Seconded by Kevin Lewis.

Michelle Lefkowitz noted that during this review process, the board previously would challenge voters if they
hadn't voted for two General Election cycles. Sarah Montgomery agreed that this was the previous practice of
the board, but prior to the last biennial review, the clerk's office worked with the Secretary of State's office
and the city attorneys to determine new best practices that were in line with statute. The process that was
followed in 2023, and proposed again, is the result of that. Colleen Montgomery and Kevin Lewis asked if
there are any additional steps in the process or data sources Sarah would recommend changing or adding.
Sarah responded that she does not have any recommendations for changes.

Lauren Ebersol noted that in the previous cycle, when Sarah Montgomery shared the data, it was broken
down by each step in the process, so the board could see exactly how voters were filtered out. Jeanne Keller
made an amendment to the motion to note that each individual step taken would be reflected in the data
presented.

Lauren Ebersol made a motion to adopt as amended. Seconded by Grace Grundhauser. Process approved
unanimously.


11. Annual Board report to City Council (Approval)
11. Annual Board report to City Council (Approval)

11.1. Approve Annual Report to City Council
File Attachments
1. BRV Annual Report FY25 - DRAFT BRV Annual Report FY25 - DRAFT.docx
11.1. Approve Annual Report to City Council
Lesley Gendron made a motion to approve the report as presented. Seconded by Lauren Ebersol. Passed
unanimously.


12. Board Member Expectations
12. Board Member Expectations

12.1. Board Member Expectation Discussion


File Attachments
1. BRV Rules Procedures (Jun 1 2021) BRV Rules Procedures (Jun 1 2021).pdf

12.1. Board Member Expectation Discussion
Grace Grundhauser directed members to the rules and procedures that were posted with the agenda.

Jeanne Keller noted that discussing participation was one of the primary reasons for adding this item to the
agenda. She said that there are other member behaviors that may need to be addressed by the board as
well, such as conduct at polling places. Grace Grundhauser read the portion of the document that is relevant
to attendance. She noted that there is not a clear process for initiating the removal of a member. Jeanne
Keller recommended that it could be something that was self-initiated, such as a certain number of
unexcused absences, including Election Day work and meetings. The board would then be responsible for
determining what would qualify as an excused absence. Lauren Ebersol suggested that it be measured by a
percentage of participation and also said it would also be helpful to define what an excused absence is.
Lesley Gendron asked when a new expectation would become effective. Grace Grundhauser said that it
makes sense that it would not be enforced retroactively.

Grace Grundhauser said she would add continued discussion of this item to the next agenda. Jeanne Keller
suggested people bring ideas forward about what makes sense as an excused absence, and that the
availability to attend the meetings remotely should be factored into this. To address conduct, Jeanne and
Grace suggested referencing the election officials' rules and guidelines in the BRV rules and procedures.


13. New Business
13. New Business
Grace Grundhauser shared that Mike McGarghan is resigning from the board for personal reasons. The
vacant position will be advertised and filled by the City Council, but the exact timeline isn't set yet since the
resignation has just occurred.

Grace Grundhauser shared some information about the appointment process as it occurred this year. She
stated that the appointment committee is no longer automatically appointing incumbents. She noted for
members who want to reapply next year, that they should be sure to apply by the deadline and put their
best foot forward since it has become more competitive to be reappointed.

14. Adjournment
14. Adjournment

14.1. Motion to Adjourn
14.1. Motion to Adjourn
Lauren Ebersol made a motion to adjourn. Seconded by Kevin Lewis. Passed unanimously.