reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
17 V.S.A. § 2564
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2564. Challenges

§ 2564. Challenges|(a)(1)(A) Each organized political party, each candidate on the ballot not representing an organized political party, and each committee supporting or opposing any public question on the ballot shall have the right to have not more than two representatives for each voting district, in a polling place but outside the guardrail, for the purpose of observing the voting process and challenging the right of any person to vote.   (B) In no event shall such representatives be permitted to interfere with the orderly conduct of the election, and the presiding officer shall have authority to impose reasonable rules for the preservation of order. (C) However, in all cases the representatives shall have the right to hear or see the name of a person seeking to vote, and they shall have the right to make an immediate challenge to a person's right to vote.  (2) The grounds of challenge of a person whose name appears on the checklist shall be only:  (A) that he or she is not, in fact, the person whose name appears on the checklist; or (B) that he or she has previously voted in the same election.    (b) If a challenge is issued, the members of the board of civil authority present in the polling place shall immediately convene, informally hear the facts, and decide whether the challenge should be sustained.  (1) If the board overrules the challenge, the person shall immediately be admitted within the guardrail and permitted to vote. (2) If the board sustains the challenge, the person shall not be admitted unless, before the polls close, he or she shall obtain a court order directing that he or she be permitted to vote. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2017, No. 50, § 38.)
17 V.S.A. § 2565
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2565. Delivery of ballots

§ 2565. Delivery of ballots|Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2548(b) of this title, as each voter passes through the entrance of the guardrail, an election official or officials shall hand him or her one of each kind of ballot. The election officials shall also answer any questions a voter may ask concerning the process of voting. The presiding officer shall keep the election officials in charge of furnishing ballots to voters supplied with a sufficient number of blank ballots, keeping the remainder of the blank ballots safely secured until needed. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 76; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 71; 2021, No. 60, § 18, eff. June 7, 2021.)
17 V.S.A. § 2566
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2566. Marking ballots

§ 2566. Marking ballots|Except as provided in subdivision 2548(b)(2) of this title, on receiving his or her ballots, the voter shall forthwith, and without leaving the polling place or going outside the guardrail, proceed to one of the booths not occupied by any other person and vote by filling in the appropriate square or oval opposite the name of the candidate of his or her choice for each office, or by writing in the name of the candidate of his or her choice in the blank space provided and filling in the square or oval to the right of that blank space. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2015, No. 30, § 15, eff. May 26, 2015; 2017, No. 50, § 39; 2021, No. 60, § 19, eff. June 7, 2021.)
17 V.S.A. § 2567
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2567. Voting systems for voters with disabilities

§ 2567. Voting systems for voters with disabilities|(a) [Repealed.](b) All polling places shall possess at least one voting system approved by the Secretary of State equipped for individuals with disabilities, including accessibility for people who are blind and people who have a visual impairment, to vote independently and privately. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2003, No. 59, § 33, eff. Jan. 1, 2006; 2013, No. 96 (Adj. Sess.), § 84; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 30.)
17 V.S.A. § 2568
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2568. Removing ballots from polling place; replacement and unused ballots

§ 2568. Removing ballots from polling place; replacement and unused ballots|(a) Removing ballots from polling place. A person shall not take or remove a ballot from the polling place before the close of the polls.(b) Replacement ballots.  (1) If a voter desires a replacement ballot, he or she may obtain another, not exceeding three in all, upon each time returning to an election official the previous ballot he or she was provided. (2) If a ballot is returned to an election official by a voter desiring a replacement ballot, the ballot returned by the voter shall be immediately delivered to the presiding officer or his or her designee, who shall tear it in half and place it in an envelope containing all ballots returned by the voters that is clearly marked "Do Not Count- Replaced Ballots." At the close of the polls, this envelope shall be sealed and delivered to the clerk pursuant to section 2590 of this chapter.   (c) Unused ballots. Ballots originally delivered to the presiding officer that remain undistributed to the voters shall be preserved and returned to the town clerks, and following the election, they may be destroyed or distributed by the town clerk for educational purposes or for any other purpose the town clerk deems appropriate. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2017, No. 50, § 40; 2019, No. 67, § 15.)
17 V.S.A. § 2569
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2569. Assistance to voter

§ 2569. Assistance to voter|(a) A voter who declares to the presiding officer that he or she needs assistance to mark the ballot shall be assisted in the marking or registering of the ballot by a person of the voter's choice or two election officials of different party affiliations.(b) A person who gives assistance to a voter in the marking of his or her ballot shall not in any way divulge any information regarding the choice of the voter or the manner in which the voter's ballot was cast. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1985, No. 196 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1989, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 4; 2003, No. 59, § 34; 2015, No. 30, § 16, eff. May 26, 2015.)
17 V.S.A. § 2570
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2570. Depositing ballots

§ 2570. Depositing ballots|(a) In primary elections, the voter shall first hand any unvoted primary ballots to the appropriate election official, who shall deposit those ballots in a receptacle marked for unvoted primary ballots. The voter shall then deposit the voted ballot in the ballot box or vote tabulator, unless the voter requires assistance in depositing the ballot.(b) In all other elections, the voter shall, without displaying the marks thereon and under the supervision of an election official, deposit each ballot into the proper ballot box or in the vote tabulator.(c) Except as provided in section 2569 of this title, no election official or other person shall look at the contents of any ballot. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 77; 2015, No. 30, § 17, eff. May 26, 2015; 2017, No. 50, § 41.)
17 V.S.A. § 2571
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2571. Checking voter's name upon leaving

§ 2571. Checking voter's name upon leaving|In towns that have exit checklists, before a voter's ballots are deposited, he or she shall again announce his or her name to the election officials attending the second certified copy of the checklist. A mark shall then be placed next to his or her name upon the checklist, ballots shall be deposited and he or she shall proceed immediately outside the guardrail by the exit and shall not again enter within the guardrail unless he or she is an election official. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 78; 2001, No. 5, § 8.)
17 V.S.A. § 2572
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2572. Viewing of the checklist

§ 2572. Viewing of the checklist|(a) A representative of each political party, a candidate on the ballot not represented by a political party, and a representative of each committee supporting or opposing any public question on the ballot shall each have the right to view, no more than two times each, a copy of the checklist upon which the election officials are marking those persons who have voted.(b) This viewing shall occur only at times during the election that are convenient for the election officials and is required to be permitted only in instances where the board of civil authority have received a request in writing from the representative or candidate at least 12 hours before the opening of the polls.(c) This section shall only apply at polling places that have checklists of eligible voters numbering 500 or less. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
17 V.S.A. § 2573
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2573. No counting before polls close

§ 2573. No counting before polls close|In towns that do not use vote tabulators, the ballot boxes shall not be opened nor the ballots counted before the closing of the polls. In towns using vote tabulators, the tabulator counts shall not be viewed or printed before the closing of the polls. (Added 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 79; amended 2003, No. 59, § 35; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 31.)
17 V.S.A. § 2581
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2581. Closing polls

§ 2581. Closing polls|When the hours set for voting, including extended hours of voting, have expired, the presiding officer at each polling place shall publicly announce that the polls are closed. He or she shall then ensure that all persons who are not election officials are prevented from entering within the guardrail until all votes have been counted and ballots secured as provided in this subchapter. Persons who are not election officials may remain within the polling place but outside the guardrail, or within a designated area in any other room where ballots are being counted, provided that they are able to observe the counting process, but that they do not in any way interfere with the orderly count and return of votes. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 80.)
17 V.S.A. § 2582
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2582. Presiding officer to direct count; transporting ballots or checklist

§ 2582. Presiding officer to direct count; transporting ballots or checklist|The presiding officer shall direct the manner in which the votes are counted, subject to the provisions of this title and as provided for in the rules for counting ballots adopted by the Secretary of State. Ballots shall be counted at the polling places where they are cast, except where the Secretary of State, upon request of the presiding officer, has issued a determination that the ballots should be counted elsewhere, or the checklist should be moved by two elections officials of different parties for the purpose of making a photocopy. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 81; 1981, No. 239 (Adj. Sess.), § 30; 2003, No. 59, § 36.)
17 V.S.A. § 2583
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2583. Official checklist to be tallied; storage of checklist

§ 2583. Official checklist to be tallied; storage of checklist|(a)(1) The presiding officer, as soon after the closing of the polls as possible, shall cause both certified checklists to be examined and the number of voters checked as having voted to be tallied. Both tallies shall be recorded by the presiding officer. The presiding officer shall prepare a statement listing any discrepancies between the checklists, including the names involved and other details relating to the discrepancies.  (2) Unless the board of civil authority votes not to use an exit checklist under section 2507 of this chapter, each checklist shall be identified as either the "entrance" or "exit" checklist, and the exit checklist, together with a statement of discrepancies, shall be sealed and stored with the ballots and tally sheets as provided in section 2590 of this chapter. The entrance checklist shall be safely stored so that the public cannot have access to it for a period of 90 days except under the direct supervision of the town clerk.   (b) [Repealed.]  (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 82; 1985, No. 196 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2003, No. 59, § 37; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 32.)
17 V.S.A. § 2584
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2584. Opening of ballot boxes; distribution of ballots

§ 2584. Opening of ballot boxes; distribution of ballots|After the closing of the polls, the presiding officer shall open the ballot boxes and distribute the ballots among the election officials in approximately equal numbers. As nearly as may be, election officials shall work in pairs while counting ballots, each pair consisting of members of different parties. Once ballots are distributed to a pair of election officials, that pair shall retain the same ballots throughout the counting process. If more than one kind of ballot has been used in the election, only one kind at a time shall be distributed. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
17 V.S.A. § 2585
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2585. Ballots not to be written upon

§ 2585. Ballots not to be written upon|No person shall in any manner, nor for any reason, make any mark upon either the face or reverse side of any ballots, during the counting process. All notations, arithmetic, or other marking shall be done upon separate pieces of scratch paper. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
17 V.S.A. § 2586
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2586. Tally sheets; summary sheets; returns

§ 2586. Tally sheets; summary sheets; returns|The Secretary of State shall design, prepare, and distribute a sufficient supply of the following forms, which may be used in each polling place during the counting process:  (1) Tally sheets.  (A) These sheets shall provide a place to identify the office or question for which the ballots are being counted, the name of each candidate for that office, and the signature of the pair of election officials actually counting the ballots. (B) Votes for each candidate or question shall be recorded on the tally sheets by means of "tick" marks or some other convenient system, and the total shall then be written on the tally sheet. (C) Blank votes (undervotes) and overvotes shall be indicated. (D) In towns that count ballots by hand, all votes must be accounted for on the tally sheets.  (2) Summary sheets. These sheets shall be used to record the totals shown on all tally sheets in the polling place for each office or public question, and the sum of such totals. They shall provide a place to identify the office or public question, the candidates, and the signatures of the presiding officer and at least one other election official. (3) Return. The return shall be prepared in duplicate and used to make the official report from each polling place of the grand totals of all votes cast in the polling place. It shall identify the polling place, and each candidate or question receiving votes, and shall be signed by the presiding officer and at least one other election official. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2017, No. 50, § 42.)
17 V.S.A. § 2589
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2589. Identifying ballots

§ 2589. Identifying ballots|When each kind of ballot has been completely counted, each pair of election officials shall securely bind the ballots they have counted and one copy of each tally sheet they have prepared with string or rubber bands and shall, on a separate piece of paper, indicate the number of ballots in the package and the identity of the election officials who counted them, as: "100 ballots counted by John Doe and Mary Smith."  (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
17 V.S.A. § 2591
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2591. Return not received

§ 2591. Return not received|If any canvassing committee does not receive in due time any return required to be forwarded to it, it shall notify the clerk of the town from which the return is lacking, who shall forthwith make another certified copy of the record in his or her office of the lacking return and transmit the same to the committee. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
17 V.S.A. § 2593
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2593. Participation to be entered on statewide checklist by town clerk

§ 2593. Participation to be entered on statewide checklist by town clerk|Not later than 60 days after an annual town meeting, primary election, presidential primary, or general election, the town clerk shall indicate on the town checklist of the statewide checklist each voter's participation, participation method, and political party of ballot taken, if applicable, in that election by a method approved by the Secretary of State. (Added 2007, No. 54, § 11; amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 41, eff. July 1, 2015; 2015, No. 30, § 19.)
17 V.S.A. § 2601
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2601. Recount threshold

§ 2601. Recount threshold|(a)(1) In an election for federal office, statewide office, county office, or State Senator, if the difference between the number of votes cast for a winning candidate and the number of votes cast for a losing candidate is two percent or less of the total votes cast for all the candidates for an office, divided by the number of persons to be elected, that losing candidate shall have the right to have the votes for that office recounted.  (2) In an election for State Representative, if the difference between the number of votes cast for a winning candidate and the number of votes cast for a losing candidate is five percent or less of the total votes cast for all the candidates for an office, divided by the number of persons to be elected, that losing candidate shall have the right to have the votes for that office recounted.   (b) In the case of a recount for a local election, the threshold and procedures for conducting the recount shall be as provided in chapter 55, subchapter 3 of this title. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 89; 2009, No. 98 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 10, 2010; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 42; 2017, No. 50, § 1; 2019, No. 67, § 16.)
17 V.S.A. § 2602
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2602. Petitions for recounts; setting date of recount

§ 2602. Petitions for recounts; setting date of recount|(a) [Repealed.](b) In the case of recounts described in subsection 2601(a) of this subchapter, the following procedure shall apply.  (1) A petition for a recount shall be filed within seven calendar days after the election. (2) The petition shall be filed with:  (A) the Civil Division of the Superior Court, Washington County, in the case of candidates for State or congressional office, or for a presidential election; or (B) the Superior Court in any county in which votes were cast for the office to be recounted, in the case of any other office.  (3) The petition shall be supported, if possible, by a certified copy of the certificate of election prepared by the canvassing committee, verifying the total number of votes cast and the number of votes cast for each candidate.   (c)(1) The Superior Court shall:   (A) set the date of the recount to be:  (i) five business days after the court receives the petition, in the case of a primary recount; or (ii) 10 business days after the court receives the petition, in the case of a general election recount; and  (B) notify all candidates of the recount date no later than the next business day after the petition is received.  (2)(A) The Superior Court shall forward a copy of the petition to the county clerk.  (B) The court shall order the town clerk or clerks having custody of the ballots to be recounted or their designees to transport the ballots and a copy of the entrance checklist from the election to be recounted to the county clerks of their respective counties before the day set for the recount. (C) The county clerk shall store all ballots, still in their sealed containers, in his or her vault until the day of the recount.    (d)-(i) [Repealed.]  (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 90-93; 1985, No. 148 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 3, 4; 1985, No. 196 (Adj. Sess.), § 16; 1989, No. 211 (Adj. Sess.), § 5; 2007, No. 54, § 13; 2009, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), § 140; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 42; 2017, No. 50, § 1.)
17 V.S.A. § 2602a
2021 Vermont Statutes|Title 17 - Elections|Chapter 51 - Conduct of Elections|§ 2602a. Appointment of recount committee

§ 2602a. Appointment of recount committee|(a)(1) Upon receipt of a petition, the county clerk shall notify all candidates for the office that is the subject of the recount, advising them to each submit immediately a list of a minimum of 10 nominees for individuals to serve on a recount committee.  (2)(A) If a list of nominees is not delivered to the county clerk within two business days, the clerk shall notify the appropriate candidates that they have 24 hours to submit lists of nominees for individuals to serve on the recount committee.  (B) If the petitioning candidate fails to submit a complete list of nominees by this deadline, the recount shall not move forward. (C) If any other candidate fails to submit a complete list of nominees, the county clerk shall request additional nominees from the other candidates.    (b)(1) The Superior Court shall make a minimum of 12 appointments to the recount committee from among those nominated under this section, with the number of appointments based on the number of votes to be recounted and a goal of completing the recount within one day.  (2) In making these appointments, the court shall appoint an equal number of persons representing each candidate, to the extent practicable. (Added 1985, No. 148 (Adj. Sess.), § 5; amended 2009, No. 40, § 3, eff. May 26, 2009; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 42; 2017, No. 50, § 1.)