reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 34A - Periodic Reapportionment › § 1906b. Division of two-member representative districts

§ 1906b. Division of two-member representative districts
(a) An initial district entitled to two Representatives under section 1893 of this title may be divided into single-member representative districts as provided in this section.
(b) As soon as practical after enactment of a final plan for initial districts under section 1906 of this title, the boards of civil authority of the town or towns that constitute 25 percent or more of the population of the initial district may call a meeting of the boards of civil authority of the town or towns of the initial district for the purpose of preparing a proposal for division of the district. Each board shall have one vote, provided that the proposal shall not provide for a representative district line to be drawn through a town if the board of civil authority of that town objects.
(c) In making a proposal under this section, the boards of civil authority shall consider:
(1) preservation of existing political subdivision lines;
(2) recognition and maintenance of patterns of geography, social interaction, trade, political ties, and common interests;
(3) use of compact and contiguous territory;
(4) incumbencies.
(d) In no initial district divided under this section shall the percentage of deviation result in a representative district that extends the limits of the overall range of the percentage of deviation in the initial district plan for reapportionment enacted by the General Assembly under section 1906 of this title.
(e) On or before April 1 of the year of the general election next after enactment of the final plan under section 1906 of this title, the boards of civil authority of the town or towns within each initial district proposing division under this section shall present a proposal for division to the Clerk of the House, and the proposal shall be referred to the appropriate committee. If the boards of civil authority desire to divide the initial district but are unable to obtain a majority vote on a proposed division, they may notify the Clerk of the House on or before April 1 of their failure to agree on a proposal and request that the General Assembly divide the initial district, and the General Assembly may divide the initial district into single-member representative districts.
(f) Representative districts proposed under this section shall become effective when approved by the General Assembly before adjournment sine die. The General Assembly shall approve representative districts proposed by the boards of civil authority if they are consistent with the standards set forth in this section. (Added 1991, No. 116 (Adj. Sess.), § 10, eff. Feb. 13, 1992.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 34A - Periodic Reapportionment › § 1906c. Division of districts having three or more Representatives

§ 1906c. Division of districts having three or more Representatives
(a) An initial district entitled to three or more Representatives under section 1893 of this title shall be divided into single- and two-member representative districts as provided in this section.
(b) As soon as practical after enactment of a final plan for initial districts under section 1906 of this title, the boards of civil authority of the town or towns within an initial district having three or more Representatives shall meet and prepare a proposal for division of the district. Each board shall have one vote, provided that the proposal shall not provide for a representative district line to be drawn through a town if the board of civil authority of that town objects.
(c) In making a proposal under this section, the boards of civil authority shall consider:
(1) preservation of existing political subdivision lines;
(2) recognition and maintenance of patterns of geography, social interaction, trade, political ties, and common interests;
(3) use of compact and contiguous territory;
(4) incumbencies.
(d) In no initial district divided under this section shall the percentage of deviation result in a representative district that extends the limits of the overall range of the percentage of deviation in the initial district plan for reapportionment enacted by the General Assembly under section 1906 of this title.
(e) On or before April 1 of the year of the general election next after enactment of the final plan under section 1906 of this title, the boards of civil authority of the town or towns within each initial district subject to this section shall present a proposal for division to the Clerk of the House, and the proposal shall be referred to the appropriate committee. If the boards of civil authority are unable to obtain a majority vote on a proposed division, they shall notify the Clerk of the House, on or before April 1, of their failure to agree on a proposal, and the General Assembly shall divide the initial district into representative districts.
(f) Representative districts proposed under this section shall become effective when approved by the General Assembly before adjournment sine die. The General Assembly shall approve representative districts proposed by the boards of civil authority if they are consistent with the standards set forth in this section. (Added 1991, No. 116 (Adj. Sess.), § 11, eff. Feb. 13, 1992.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 34A - Periodic Reapportionment › § 1907. Senate apportionment

§ 1907. Senate apportionment
(a)(1) On or before July 1 of each year following the taking of a decennial census under the authority of Congress, the Board shall prepare a proposal for reapportionment of the Senate, apportioning the 30 senatorial seats among the counties or combinations of counties with a maximum of three members in each proposed district, and in such manner as to achieve substantial equality in the choice of members as guaranteed by the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
(2) The Chair of the Board shall transmit such proposal to the Secretary of the Senate and it shall be referred to the appropriate committee.
(b) The General Assembly shall then accept the proposal and enact it into law or enact into law a substitute plan for reapportionment of the Senate that limits each senatorial district to a maximum of three members. (Added 1965, No. 97, § 7; amended 1989, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 6e; 1991, No. 217 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. May 22, 1992; 1999, No. 68 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2001, No. 36, § 3; 2019, No. 2, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2021.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 34A - Periodic Reapportionment › § 1908. Powers of Board

§ 1908. Powers of Board
The Legislative Apportionment Board shall have the following powers:
(1) To call for, and receive, the assistance of any State, county, or municipal official or employee in obtaining information regarding the population in any county, town, city, village, ward, precinct, or water, fire, or school district;
(2) To hold public hearings in any town or city for the purpose of obtaining information relevant to reapportionment of the General Assembly;
(3) To delegate, under regulations adopted by it, any of the foregoing powers to one or more of its members, or to investigators or hearing examiners in its employ. (Added 1965, No. 97, § 8; amended 1981, No. 30, § 5, eff. April 16, 1981.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 34A - Periodic Reapportionment › § 1909. Review

§ 1909. Review
(a) Within 30 days of the effective date of any apportionment bill enacted pursuant to section 1906b, 1906c, or 1907 of this chapter, any five or more voters of the State aggrieved by the plan or act may petition the Supreme Court of Vermont for review of same.
(b) The sole grounds of review to be considered by the Supreme Court shall be that the apportionment plan, or any part of it, is unconstitutional or violates section 1903 of this chapter.
(c) The Supreme Court may consolidate two or more appeals, as the interests of justice may require, with due regard for expediting decision in all appeals.
(d) The Supreme Court may designate one or more Justices, one or more Superior judges, or one or more masters, to take testimony and make findings of fact in any appeal or consolidated appeals under this section.
(e) In the event the Supreme Court allows any appeal upon one or both grounds set forth in subsection (b) of this section, it shall forward its opinion and decision to the General Assembly, which shall forthwith revise and correct the apportionment law in light of the Supreme Court’s decision, to conform to the requirements of law. The Supreme Court shall retain jurisdiction until the General Assembly has produced a plan conforming to all constitutional and statutory requirements, which plan shall thereupon become law.
(f) The review provided in this section shall be the original and exclusive review of legislative apportionment in the courts of this State. (Added 1965, No. 97, § 9; amended 1991, No. 116 (Adj. Sess.), § 12, eff. Feb. 13, 1992; 2019, No. 67, § 4.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 1931. Presiding officer receiving illegal vote

§ 1931. Presiding officer receiving illegal vote
A presiding officer in a local, primary, or general election who knowingly receives and counts a vote from a person not a qualified voter or knowingly receives from a voter, at any one balloting for the same office, more than one vote shall be fined not more than $100.00 if the offense is committed in a local election and not more than $500.00 if in a primary or general election. (Amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 1932. Counting ballots and opening ballot boxes before proper time

§ 1932. Counting ballots and opening ballot boxes before proper time
A presiding officer at a primary or general election who allows the ballots for representative to the General Assembly, or State, county, or congressional officers to be counted or, except as provided in section 2499 of this title, the ballot box containing the same to be opened before the closing of the polls shall be fined not more than $200.00 nor less than $20.00. (Amended 1961, No. 198, § 4, eff. July 5, 1961; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 1933. Nonperformance of duty by public officer

§ 1933. Nonperformance of duty by public officer
Except as otherwise provided by this title, a public officer upon whom a duty is imposed by the provisions of this title who willfully neglects to perform such duty or who willfully performs it in such a way as to hinder the object of the provisions of this title shall be fined not more than $500.00. (Amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 1971. Casting more than one ballot

§ 1971. Casting more than one ballot
A legal voter who knowingly casts more than one ballot at any one time of balloting for the same office shall be fined not more than $1,000.00 if the offense is committed at a primary or general election, and not more than $100.00 if committed at a local election. (Amended 2001, No. 5, § 10; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 1972. Showing ballot; interference with voter

§ 1972. Showing ballot; interference with voter
(a) A voter who, except in cases of assistance as provided in this title, allows his or her ballot to be seen by another person with an apparent intention of letting it be known how he or she is about to vote or makes a false statement to the presiding officer at an election as to his or her inability to mark his or her ballot or places a distinguishing mark on his or her ballot or a person who interferes with a voter when inside the guard rail or who, within the building in which the voting is proceeding, endeavors to induce a voter to vote for a particular candidate, shall be fined $1,000.00.
(b) It shall be the duty of the election officers to see that the offender is duly prosecuted for a violation of this section. (Amended 2001, No. 5, § 11; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 1973. Voting in more than one place

§ 1973. Voting in more than one place
A person who, on the same day, votes in more than one town, district, or ward for the same office shall be fined not more than $1,000.00. (Amended 2001, No. 5, § 12.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 1974. Voter omitted from list, voting in another political subdivision

§ 1974. Voter omitted from list, voting in another political subdivision
A person who is a resident and entitled to vote in a political subdivision in which a checklist of voters has been made previous to an election, whose name, through his or her neglect, is not entered thereon, who votes in another political subdivision at such election shall be fined not more than $200.00. (Amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 2011. Perjury before board making checklist

§ 2011. Perjury before board making checklist
A person who knowingly swears falsely to a fact or matter that may be the subject of inquiry by the board of civil authority or town clerk in revising the checklist as provided in this title shall be guilty of perjury and imprisoned not more than 15 years or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both. (Amended 1971, No. 199 (Adj. Sess.), § 17; 1981, No. 223 (Adj. Sess.), § 23; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 2012. Procuring change in list wrongfully

§ 2012. Procuring change in list wrongfully
A person who, directly or indirectly, procures or causes to be procured or aids in procuring the name of a person to be inserted on a checklist of voters, knowing such person not to be a voter in the political subdivision for which such list is made or, directly or indirectly, procures or causes to be procured or aids in procuring the name of a person to be erased from such list, knowing him or her to be a legal voter in such political subdivision, shall be fined not more than $200.00. (Amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 2013. False answer as to right to vote

§ 2013. False answer as to right to vote
A person who knowingly gives a false answer or information to the presiding officer at a local, primary, or general election or to the authority present to decide upon the qualifications of voters, touching a person’s right to vote at such election, shall be fined not more than $200.00. (Amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 2014. Unqualified person voting

§ 2014. Unqualified person voting
A person, knowing that he or she is not a qualified voter, who votes at a local, primary, or general election for an officer to be elected at that election shall be fined not more than $200.00. (Amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 2015. Fraudulent voting

§ 2015. Fraudulent voting
A person who personates another, living or dead, and gives or offers to give a vote in the name of that other person or gives or offers to give a vote under a fictitious name at a local, primary, or general election for an officer to be elected at that election shall be imprisoned not more than one year or fined not more than $200.00, or both. (Amended 1981, No. 223 (Adj. Sess.), § 23; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 2016. Aiding unqualified voter to vote

§ 2016. Aiding unqualified voter to vote
A person who willfully aids or abets a person who is not a duly qualified voter in voting or attempting to vote at a local, primary, or general election shall be fined not more than $200.00. (Amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 2017. Undue influence

§ 2017. Undue influence
A person who attempts by bribery, threats, or any undue influence to dictate, control, or alter the vote of a voter about to be given at a local, primary, or general election shall be fined not more than $200.00. (Amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2019, No. 67, § 5.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 2019. Destroying lists; hindering voting

§ 2019. Destroying lists; hindering voting
A person who, prior to a local, primary, or general election, willfully defaces or destroys any list of candidates posted in accordance with law or, during that election, willfully defaces, tears down, removes, or destroys any card posted for the instruction of voters or, during that election, willfully removes or destroys any of the supplies or conveniences furnished to enable a voter to prepare his or her ballot or willfully hinders the voting of others shall be fined $200.00. (Amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 35 - Offenses Against the Purity of Elections › § 2021. Destruction of or fraudulent acts pertaining to primary election documents; alteration or delay of ballots

§ 2021. Destruction of or fraudulent acts pertaining to primary election documents; alteration or delay of ballots
A person who falsely makes or willfully defaces or destroys a primary petition, certificate of nomination, or nomination paper or any part thereof, or any letter of assent or of withdrawal, or who files a primary petition, certificate of nomination, nomination paper, letter of assent, or letter of withdrawal knowing the same or any part thereof to be falsely made, or who suppresses a primary petition, certificate of nomination, nomination paper, letter of assent, or letter of withdrawal or any part thereof that has been filed, or forges or falsely makes the official endorsement upon a ballot to be used at a primary or at an election or willfully destroys or defaces such a ballot or willfully delays the delivery of such ballots shall be fined $200.00. (Amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 41 - Purposes, Short Title, Definitions › § 2101. Purposes

§ 2101. Purposes
This title is intended to carry out the mandate contained in Article 8 of Chapter I of the Constitution of the State of Vermont. In this pursuit, the specific purposes of this title are:
(1) to provide equal opportunity for all citizens of voting age to participate in political processes;
(2) to assure that political campaigns are fairly and honestly conducted and financed;
(3) to define unacceptable conduct among political candidates and public servants;
(4) to ensure that public service will be in the public interest, rather than the special interest of groups or individuals;
(5) to encourage citizens to become more actively involved in the political processes that affect the quality of life; and
(6) to provide uniform practices and procedures in the conduct of elections throughout the State. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 41 - Purposes, Short Title, Definitions › § 2102. Short title

§ 2102. Short title
This title may be referred to and cited as the “Vermont Election Laws.” (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2121. Eligibility of voters

§ 2121. Eligibility of voters
(a) Any person may register to vote in the town of his or her residence in any election held in a political subdivision of this State in which he or she resides who, on election day:
(1) is a citizen of the United States;
(2) is a resident of the State of Vermont;
(3) has taken the voter’s oath; and
(4) is 18 years of age or more.
(b) Any person meeting the requirements of subdivisions (a)(1)-(3) of this section who will be 18 years of age on or before the date of a general election may register and vote in the primary election immediately preceding that general election. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1997, No. 47, § 11; 2011, No. 66, § 15, eff. June 1, 2011.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2122. Residence; special cases; checklist

§ 2122. Residence; special cases; checklist
(a) A person shall not gain or lose a residence solely by reason of presence or absence while in the service of the State or of the United States; nor while engaged in the navigation of the waters of the State or of the United States or on the high seas; nor while in a hospital, nursing home, or other health care facility; nor while confined in a prison or correctional institution; nor while a member of a veterans’ home; nor while a student at any educational institution; nor while living outside the United States; nor while certified as a participant in the address confidentiality program under 15 V.S.A. chapter 21, subchapter 3.
(b) A person may have his or her name on the checklist only in the town of which the person is a resident. For the purpose of this chapter, “resident” shall mean a person who is domiciled in the town as evidenced by an intent to maintain a principal dwelling place in the town indefinitely and to return there if temporarily absent, coupled with an act or acts consistent with that intent. If a person removes to another town with the intention of remaining there indefinitely, that person shall be considered to have lost residence in the town in which the person originally resided even though the person intends to return at some future time. However, a person shall retain the ability to vote in a town of former residence for a period of 17 days after becoming a resident of a new town. A person may have only one residence at a given time. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 120; 1981, No. 239 (Adj. Sess.), § 8; 1983, No. 90, § 4, eff. April 29, 1983; 1985, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 6; 1999, No. 134 (Adj. Sess.), § 6, eff. Jan. 1, 2001; 2001, No. 5, § 2.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2123. Residents of unorganized towns and gores

§ 2123. Residents of unorganized towns and gores
A resident of an unorganized town, grant, or gore may have his or her name placed upon the checklist in any town that is both in the probate district and in the representative district in which he or she resides, and he or she shall be entitled to vote in all elections in such town except local elections. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2124. Voter’s oath or affirmation; how administered; application

§ 2124. Voter’s oath or affirmation; how administered; application
(a) The voter’s oath may be administered by:
(1) a person authorized by the law of this State to administer oaths and affirmations;
(2) a member of a board of civil authority;
(3) a commissioned officer of the military service;
(4) any other person qualified to administer oaths and affirmations, within or outside the United States, by the laws of the place in which the oath or affirmation is administered;
(5) any other person over the age of 18; or
(6) an applicant for addition to the checklist who attests to having taken the oath or affirmation under the penalty of perjury.
(b) [Repealed.]
(c) At a minimum, the town clerk shall keep the completed applications for addition to the checklist, or an electronic copy thereof, through the end of the general election cycle that follows the one in which the application was received. The town clerk shall verify, upon request, that a voter has been given the oath or affirmation. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 7; 1989, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1997, No. 47, § 10; 2001, No. 6, § 12(b), eff. April 10, 2001; 2007, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2015, No. 30, § 1, eff. May 26, 2015; 2015, No. 80 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. July 1, 2017.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2125. Intermittent residence

§ 2125. Intermittent residence
A person, having taken the voter’s oath, who moves from Vermont and obtains voting residence outside the State shall not vote in any election in this State until he or she has once again qualified to vote under this title, except that he or she need not take the voters’ oath again. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 8; 1997, No. 47, § 11.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2126. Village checklist

§ 2126. Village checklist
A village clerk shall automatically include on the village checklist the names of all persons living within the village who are on the checklist of the town in which the village is located, except as provided in section 2122 of this title. No separate application or other action on the part of the voter shall be required. (Added 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 9; 1999, No. 134 (Adj. Sess.), § 7, eff. Jan. 1, 2001.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2141. Posting of checklist

§ 2141. Posting of checklist
(a) At least 30 days before any local, primary, or general election, the town clerk shall cause copies of the most recent checklist of the persons registered to vote to be posted in two or more public places in the municipality in addition to being posted at the town clerk’s office; however, in a municipality having a population of fewer than 5,000 registered voters, only one checklist in addition to the one posted in the town clerk’s office need be posted.
(b) Upon the checklist shall be stated against the name of each voter, if possible, the street and number of each voter’s residence and otherwise the mailing address of each voter’s residence. Additions or amendments to the checklist may be attached to the checklist by means of a separate list.
(c) The town clerk shall make available a copy of the list, together with lists of corrections and additions when made:
(1) to the chair of each political party in the municipality, upon request, free of charge;
(2) to officers with whom primary petitions are filed under section 2357 of this title, free of charge; and
(3) to any other person, upon request, at cost. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 10; 2001, No. 5, § 3; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2017, No. 50, § 3.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2142. Revision of checklist

§ 2142. Revision of checklist
(a) The town clerk shall call such meetings of the board of civil authority as may be necessary before an election or at other times for revision of the checklist.
(b) Notice of a meeting, along with a copy of the most recent checklist and a separate list of names that have been challenged and may be removed, shall be posted in two or more public places within each voting district and in the town clerk’s office.
(c) A quorum of the board of civil authority shall be as provided in subdivision 2103(5) of this title, and written notice shall be provided to each member as established in 24 V.S.A. § 801. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 11; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2015, No. 44, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2017.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2143. Political representation on board of civil authority

§ 2143. Political representation on board of civil authority
(a) If the board of civil authority of any political subdivision does not contain at least three members of each major political party and the party committee or at least three voters request increased representation for an underrepresented major political party by filing a written request with the clerk of the political subdivision, the legislative body shall appoint from a list of names submitted to it by the underrepresented party a sufficient number of voters to the board of civil authority to bring the underrepresented major party’s membership on the board to three. A person’s name shall not be submitted unless he or she consents to serve if appointed.
(b) The persons so appointed shall have the same duties and authority with respect to elections as have other members of the board, but those persons shall have no authority with respect to functions of the board of civil authority that are not related to elections. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 12; 2001, No. 5, § 13; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 3.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2144. Submitting applications

§ 2144. Submitting applications
(a) On any day other than the day of an election, the town clerk shall accept a person’s application for his or her name to be placed on the checklist at the town clerk’s office during all normal business hours.
(b) On the day of an election:
(1) A person may submit an application for addition to the checklist to the presiding officer at the polling place of the town in which the person seeks to register during the hours of voting established by the board of civil authority for that polling place. In towns with more than one polling place, the polling place shall be that which covers the area in which the person resides.
(2) The presiding officer or his or her designated election official shall review all applications submitted at the polling place and shall approve those applications that meet the requirements of section 2121 of this chapter. Upon approval, the applicant’s name shall be added to the checklist at the polling place, and the applicant shall be provided with the opportunity to vote in the election. The town clerk shall add the information in the application to the statewide voter checklist within five business days of the day of the election.
(3) If the presiding officer or the designated election official cannot determine from an application submitted on election day that an applicant meets the requirements of section 2121 of this chapter, the presiding officer shall immediately refer the application to any members of the board of civil authority, or its equivalent entity under any applicable charter, present at the polling place, who shall meet immediately and proceed under section 2146 of this chapter to determine whether the applicant meets the requirements of section 2121 of this chapter. For purposes of adding applicant’s names to the checklist under this subdivision (3), a quorum of the board or its equivalent entity shall be as provided in section 2451 of this title. If the board rejects an applicant, it shall notify him or her at the polling place.
(c), (d) [Repealed.] (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 13; 1981, No. 239 (Adj. Sess.), § 9; 1985, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 7; 1991, No. 118 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. Feb. 26, 1992; 1995, No. 4, § 1; 1997, No. 47, § 2; 2001, No. 6, § 12(a), eff. April 10, 2001; 2003, No. 59, § 2; 2007, No. 72, § 1; 2015, No. 44, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 2017.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2144a. Registration

§ 2144a. Registration
A person who desires to register to vote may apply in any of the following ways:
(1) Simultaneously with his or her application for, or renewal of, a motor vehicle driver’s license or nondriver identification card as provided in section 2145a of this chapter.
(2) By completing a voter registration application at a voter registration agency.
(3) By delivering, during regular hours, or mailing a completed application form to the office of the clerk of the town in which the applicant claims to be a resident.
(4) By completing a voter registration application and delivering it to the presiding officer before the close of the polls at the polling place of the town in which the person seeks to register. In towns with more than one polling place, the polling place shall be that which covers the area in which the person resides. (Added 1997, No. 47, § 3; amended 2015, No. 44, § 3, eff. Jan. 1, 2017; 2015, No. 80 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. July 1, 2017.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2144b. Additions to checklist by town clerk

§ 2144b. Additions to checklist by town clerk
(a)(1) A town clerk shall review all applications to the voter checklist and shall approve those applications that meet the requirements of this chapter. Once approved, application information shall be added to the statewide voter checklist within three business days of receipt by the town clerk’s office.
(2) If an applicant has failed upon the date of the election to provide any information required upon the application form pursuant to section 2145 of this title, the town clerk shall notify the applicant that the form was incomplete and the applicant may provide the information on or before the date of the election.
(b) [Repealed.]
(c) If the town clerk does not determine that an applicant meets the requirements of section 2121 of this title, the clerk shall immediately forward the application to the board of civil authority, which shall meet in a timely manner after the receipt of the application and proceed under section 2146 of this title to determine whether the applicant meets the requirements of section 2121. For purposes of adding applicants to the checklist, a quorum shall consist of three members of the board of civil authority.
(d) Periodically, or at least five days prior to each election, the town clerk shall forward to the board of civil authority a list of additions to the checklist. (Added 2001, No. 7, § 3, eff. April 10, 2001; amended 2003, No. 59, § 3; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 3.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2145c. Submission of voter registration forms by other persons or organizations

§ 2145c. Submission of voter registration forms by other persons or organizations
Any person or any organization other than a voter registration agency that accepts a completed voter registration form on behalf of an applicant shall submit that form to the town clerk of the town of that applicant not later than seven days after the date of acceptance, or before the date of any primary or general election, whichever is sooner. (Added 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; amended 2015, No. 44, § 7, eff. Jan. 1, 2017.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2146. Action of board of civil authority or town clerk in revising checklist

§ 2146. Action of board of civil authority or town clerk in revising checklist
(a) At a meeting to revise the checklist, the board of civil authority shall determine whether any person who has applied to be registered to vote meets the requirements of section 2121 of this title. On demand of a majority of the board present, applicants may be examined under oath concerning the facts stated in the application. The board may make such investigation as it deems proper to verify any statement made under oath by an applicant.
(b) As soon as possible, after receipt of an application, the board or, upon request of the board, the town clerk shall inform an applicant of its action as provided in subsection (d) of section 2145 of this chapter. If the board rejects an applicant, it shall also notify him or her forthwith, in person or by first-class mail directed to the address given in the application, of its reasons. The notice shall be in substantially the following form:
REJECTION OF APPLICATION FOR ADDITION TO CHECKLIST
(c) If the notice required under subsection (b) of this section is returned undelivered, the board of civil authority shall proceed to remove the person’s name from the checklist in the manner set forth in section 2150 of this title. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 14; 1981, No. 239 (Adj. Sess.), § 11; 1997, No. 47, §§ 7, 11; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 3, 72.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2147. Alteration of checklist

§ 2147. Alteration of checklist
(a) Pursuant to section 2150 of this title, the board of civil authority or, upon request of the board, the town clerk shall add to the checklist the names of the voters added and the names omitted by mistake and shall strike the names of persons not entitled to vote. The list so corrected shall not be altered except by:
(1) adding the names of persons as directed by any Superior judge on appeal;
(2) adding the names of persons who are legal voters at the election but whose names are further discovered to be omitted from the completed checklist solely through inadvertence or error;
(3) adding the names of persons who present a valid application for addition to the checklist of that town or a copy thereof, and who otherwise are qualified to be added to the checklist;
(4) [Repealed.]
(5) subdividing the checklist as provided in section 2501 of this title, including the transfer of names of voters who have moved within a town in which they are already registered from one voting district within that town to another; or
(6) adding the names of persons who previously submitted an incomplete application and who provide that information on or before election day.
(b) Any correction or transfer may be accomplished at any time until the closing of the polls on election day. Each voter has primary responsibility to ascertain that his or her name is properly added to and retained on the checklist. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2001, No. 7, § 2, eff. April 10, 2001; 2003, No. 59, § 5; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2015, No. 44, § 8, eff. Jan. 1, 2017.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2148. Appeal from board of civil authority

§ 2148. Appeal from board of civil authority
(a) Any person whose application to vote has been rejected or whose name has been removed from the checklist may appeal to any Superior judge in the county in which the applicant claims residence. If there is no judge available in the county the appeal may be taken to any Superior judge. When an appeal is initiated after the Thursday immediately preceding the day of an election, it shall be conducted at once by the judge. In all instances, the appeal shall be conducted with sufficient speed, in order to resolve, when possible, all issues on appeal in sufficient time to permit a successful appellant to vote at the pending election. Neither formal pleadings nor filing fee shall be required and an appellant may represent himself or herself.
(b) An appeal is commenced by presenting an informal but written notice of appeal to the judge to whom the appeal is taken. The notice need only be sufficient to identify the appellant and the town in which he or she has been denied eligibility to vote. The judge shall forthwith schedule a hearing and notify the appellant and the town clerk, personally or by certified mail. The appellant and any other person may present evidence at the hearing, which shall be conducted informally so as to do substantial justice to all parties.
(c) Upon conclusion of the hearing the judge shall issue a written order, either affirming the decision of the board of civil authority, or ordering that the appellant’s name be added to the checklist. The applicant shall not be permitted to vote unless and until the town clerk receives a written order from the court ordering that the applicant be permitted to vote. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1979, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), § 15; 1985, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 8.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2149. Conclusiveness of list

§ 2149. Conclusiveness of list
(a) A person shall not vote at an election unless his or her name is on the checklist applicable to the municipality, but the checklist may be amended and corrected for such election as provided in this title. The eligibility of a person to vote shall not be challenged on the day of election if the person’s name is on the checklist, except as provided in section 2564 of this title.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section:
(1) If the voter registration records indicate that a voter has moved from an address in the area covered by the polling place, the voter shall be permitted to vote at that polling place if the voter makes an oral or written affirmation that he or she continues to reside in the area covered by that polling place. The affirmation authorized by this subdivision shall be made at the polling place before an election official.
(2) If a voter who failed to return notice sent pursuant to section 2150 of this title has moved from an address in the area covered by one polling place to an address in an area covered by a different polling place within the same municipality, the voter shall upon oral or written confirmation, be permitted to correct the voting records and vote in the current election at the appropriate polling place. The affirmation authorized by this subdivision shall be made at the appropriate polling place before an election official. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1997, No. 47, § 8.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2151. Federal district court

§ 2151. Federal district court
Within 10 days after the date of a presidential election, the town clerk shall send an unmarked checklist, which was up to date as of election day, to the clerk of the federal district court for the district of Vermont, and shall receive the normal fee for such documents. (Added 1981, No. 20.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2152. Division of checklist

§ 2152. Division of checklist
A town clerk may divide the checklist into active and inactive sections. The active section shall include all the qualified voters of the town, except for those voters included in the inactive section, pursuant to this provision. The inactive section shall include only those voters who have failed to respond to the notice sent pursuant to subdivision 2150(d)(3) of this title. The active and inactive designations are for recordkeeping purposes only, and shall have no bearing on voting eligibility. (Added 2001, No. 7, § 4, eff. April 10, 2001.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 43 - Qualification and Registration of Voters › § 2153. Birthday registration drive

§ 2153. Birthday registration drive
The Secretary of State may develop and implement a statewide voter registration program for the purpose of encouraging persons to register to vote on their 18th birthday. (Added 2001, No. 7, § 5, eff. April 10, 2001.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 45 - Political Parties › § 2301. Organization of major political parties

§ 2301. Organization of major political parties
A major political party shall organize biennially as provided in this chapter. A person acting on behalf of a major political party shall not accept any contribution or make any expenditure (except for the purpose of organizing under this chapter) unless the party has a current certificate of organization on file with the Secretary of State. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 45 - Political Parties › § 2302. State chair to call caucus

§ 2302. State chair to call caucus
(a) The chair of the State committee of a party shall set a date for members of the party to meet in caucus in their respective towns. The date shall be between September 10 and September 30, inclusive, in each odd-numbered year.
(b) At least 14 days before the date set for the caucuses, the State chair shall mail or electronically mail a notice of the date and purpose of the caucuses to each town clerk and to each town and county chair of the party. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 63; 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 45 - Political Parties › § 2303. Town chair to give notice

§ 2303. Town chair to give notice
(a) The town chair or, if unavailable or if the records of the Secretary of State show there is no chair, any three voters of the town shall arrange to hold a caucus on the day designated by the State chair, in some public place within the town and shall set the hour of the caucus.
(b)(1) At least five days before the day of the caucus, the town chair shall post a notice of the date, purpose, time, and place of the caucus in the town clerk’s office and in at least one other public place in town.
(2) In towns of 5,000 or more population, he or she shall also publish the notice:
(A) in a newspaper having general circulation in the town; or
(B) in a nonpartisan electronic news media website or online forum that specializes in news of the State or the community.
(c) If three voters arrange to call the caucus, the voters shall designate one person among them to perform the duties prescribed in subsection (b) of this section for the town chair. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1981, No. 239 (Adj. Sess.), § 13; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 64; 2017, No. 50, § 6; 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 45 - Political Parties › § 2304. Town caucus

§ 2304. Town caucus
(a)(1) At the time and place set for the town caucus, the voters of the party residing in the town shall meet in caucus and proceed to elect a town committee, consisting of such number of voters of the town as the caucus deems necessary, to serve during the following two years or until their successors are elected or appointed.
(2) Additional members of a town committee may be elected by the town committee at any meeting, and may be eligible to vote on matters before the town committee at that meeting or at the next meeting, as determined by the members of the committee before the election.
(b) The voter checklist used by the caucus shall be the most recent checklist approved by the board of civil authority. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
2023 Vermont Statutes › Title 17 - Elections › Chapter 45 - Political Parties › § 2305. First meeting of town committee

§ 2305. First meeting of town committee
(a)(1) The first meeting of the town committee shall be held immediately following adjournment of the caucus.
(2) At this meeting, members of the town committee shall elect committee officers and delegates to the county committee.
(b) All officers and other members of the town committee and all delegates to the county committee shall be voters of the town. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2019, No. 67, § 9.)