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Voting & Elections Toolkits

Voting and advocacy resources by librarians for librarians

Voter Registration in Vermont

Eligibility

  • Age: Is 18 years of age or more on Election Day
  • Citizenship: Must be a US citizen
  • Residence: Is a resident of the state of Vermont (and a resident of the town in which applying to be added to the checklist) OR be a military or overseas voter whose last US residence was in Vermont
  • Has taken, or has previously taken, the Voter's Oath (formerly called the "Freeman's Oath")
  • Out-of-state college students meeting other eligibility requirements can vote in Vermont as long as they consider Vermont to be their primary residence or can request an absentee ballot from their home state
  • Incarcerated felons: Can vote; should register in the town or city resided in previous to being incarcerated
  • Check to see if you are already registered.

For more information, please visit the Vermont Secretary of State website.

Deadline

  • Eligible persons may register to vote on any day up to and including the day of the election

Online registration

First-time voters using the online registration system must include a photocopy of an acceptable form of ID, which can be a valid photo ID (driver's license or passport), current utility bill, current bank statement, or another government document containing your residential address

Online voter registration system

Mail-in registration

Printable form

ID requirements are similar to online registration

In-person registration

Submit a voter registration form to your town or city clerk

Voter registration form

Guide to Vermont's Town Clerks, Treasurers & County Clerks

 

Choosing a political party   

There is no party registration in Vermont. All registered voters can vote in the primary election--but can only vote on one ballot.      

 

For more information regarding Voter Registration, please visit the Vermont Secretary of State.

Updating registration      

To update registration after a move or name change, notify your town or city clerk immediately or use the online voter registration system.

Cancelling registration

If you no longer wish to be on the voter checklist, send a written notice to your town or city clerk with your request to be removed.

ID Requirements for Vermont Voters

ID Requirements for Registration

First Time Online and Mail Registration

 You must include a photocopy of an acceptable form of ID. Acceptable forms of ID are:

  • Valid photo ID (driver’s license or passport) OR
  • Current utility bill OR
  • Current bank statement OR
  • Another government document

No photocopy of ID is required when a person registers through a state agency or through a voter registration drive.

The voter registration form requires your Vermont DMV-issued driver's license number or Personal ID number (VT PID#) or the last four digits of your Social Security number (SSN).

 

ID Requirements for Voting

First-Time Voters

First time voters who have registered by mail have to show ID in order to vote.

If you registered when you renewed your driver's license or as part of a voter registration drive, you will not be required to show ID.

All Other Voters

Voters who are not voting for the first time don't need to show identification.

Where to get an ID

Department of Motor Vehicles

Obtaining a Driver’s License

Casting a Ballot in Vermont

Important Dates

  • Presidential Primary Election: March 5, 2024
  • Statewide Major Primary Election: August 13, 2024
  • General Election: November 5, 2024
  • Early voting: Vermont allows for early voting in person. Voting starts as soon as ballots are available—not later than 45 days before the primary or general election and 20 days prior to a municipal election that uses the Australian ballot.

Absentee voting

Opening/closing dates

  • Absentee ballots are available from the town clerk's office not later than 45 days before the primary or general election and 20 days prior to a municipal election that uses the Australian ballot
  • Requests for an early absentee ballot can be made at any time until 5 p.m., or by the time of closing of the town clerk's office on the last day that the clerk has regular hours before the election. The request can be made at the same time the person registers to vote,
  • All early voter absentee ballots must be submitted by 5 p.m. or by the close of the town clerk’s office on the day before the election, or to the polling place before 7 p.m. on the day of the election, in order to be counted.
  • When voting by mail, the town clerk must receive the ballot by the close of polls on Election Day in order for it to be counted.
  • A voter may vote in the clerk's office, during normal business hours, anytime after the ballots are delivered until the day before the election.

Military voters and voters who reside outside the U.S.

  • Military or overseas voters may request an absentee ballot by telephone, fax, email, mail or by using the My Voter Page. You may also request that the unvoted ballot and certificate for the return envelope be sent to you by email, fax, or mail. If you have the ballot and certificate sent by email or fax, the clerk will include instructions for you. Under Vermont law, voted ballots must be returned to the town clerk inside the absentee certificate envelope (with the voter’s original signature). Voted ballots may not be returned by fax or email. 
  • For more voting information for military and/or overseas voters, please visit the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

Who is eligible to use an absentee ballot?

There are no eligibility requirements for early or absentee voting.

An early or absentee voter, or an authorized family member or health care provider acting in the voter's behalf, may apply for an early voter absentee ballot by telephone, in person, or in writing. "Family member" means a person's spouse, children, brothers, sisters, parents, spouse's parents, grandparents, and spouse's grandparents.

Any other authorized person may apply in writing or in person; provided, however, that voter authorization to such a person shall not be given by response to a robotic phone call. An authorized person must identify the organization they work with, if applicable.

An early or absentee voter may also apply for their ballot online at their My Voter Page.

For more information regarding Early & Absentee Voting, please visit the Vermont Secretary of State website.

Polling places and hours

  • Vermont Polling Location Information (interactive map)
  • 2024 Vermont General Election Polling Places (spreadsheet)
  • The listing of polling places is updated on a rolling basis. You may also contact your town clerk for additional information.
  • All polls in Vermont close at 7 p.m.; opening times vary by town.
  • Time off to vote: Vermont does not have a law that requires an employer to grant its employee leave, paid or unpaid, to vote

For more information, please visit the Vermont Secretary of State website.

Rides to the polls

Many organizations offer free rides to polling places. Some of these include:

  • Lyft provides free or discounted rides in some underserved communities
  • Political parties sometimes arrange rides for voters. Contact the local office:

Help for voters with disabilities

  • Disability Rights Vermont has a Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access (PAVA) program.
  • A tablet accessible voting system is available at the polls for voters needing accommodation to assist with voting
  • For additional accommodation options and contacts, please visit the Vermont Secretary of State website regarding Accessibility for voters.

Ballots

Information on General Election Candidates

Sample ballots

Elections

Primaries vs. general elections

  • Primary elections are conducted to select each party’s candidates in the general election.
  • All registered voters can vote in the primary election—but can only vote on one ballot. You will be given a ballot for each of the major parties. You mark one of the ballots and put the remaining unvoted ballots into a discard bin. Which ballot you chose to vote is private and not recorded (except during the presidential primary, where voters must publicly take one ballot or the other, and their choice is recorded on the entrance checklist).
  • There is no party registration in Vermont.  

Jurisdiction

Offices/Measures That May Appear on the Ballot

Federal (even years)

President/Vice-President (elected every four years; next election in 2024)

Senator (elected every six years for staggered terms; next election in 2022)

Representative (elected every two years)

State (even years)

Governor/Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Auditor of Accounts, Attorney General (elected every two years; next election in 2022)

State Senator (elected every two years)

State Representative (elected every two years)

Statewide ballot measures

County (even years)

State's Attorney, Probate Judge, Assistant Judge, Sheriff, High Bailiff (elected every four years)

County-level Justices

Local (Town Meeting every year)

Varies by town; most towns elect the following offices (terms may vary):

Town clerk

Town treasurer

Selectboard

School board

Lister

Auditor

Constable

Justice of the peace

Local measures

Who are the candidates, and what else is on the ballot?

Important Dates

Primary Election: August 13, 2024

Election Day is November 5, 2024

Elections Calendar

Who conducts elections?

  • The Secretary of State is the chief election official of Vermont
  • The Elections Division of the Vermont Secretary of State office guides the administration of Vermont’s elections
  • The Board of Civil Authority of each town or city (with a few exceptions) is in charge of the conduct of elections within the municipality
  • The town clerk maintains voter information on the statewide checklist, posts all notices and warnings, processes absentee ballots, serves as presiding officer at the polling place, and prepares and submits the Official Return of Votes (with another election official)

Voter Bill of Rights

English

Where to go with complaints about candidates or how elections are conducted

Recounts and contest of elections

Administration complaint procedure

Contact information for the Election Division, Vermont Secretary of State office (scroll down to the bottom of the page).

Campaign finance

Vermont Campaign Finance System provides access to information filed by candidates, PACs, and parties.

How to contact your elected officials:

Find your elected officials

General Resources on Voting and Elections

General Resources on Voting and Elections


Election Protection Hotlines


1-866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)

1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (888-839-8682) (en Español)

1-888-API-VOTE (888-274-8683) (Asian multilingual assistance)

1-844-YALLA-US (844-925-5287) (Arabic)


Voter Registration & Election Day Resources

Find useful voter information including:

  • Local Election Office and Contact Information
  • Address, Telephone and Email for Local Election Offices
  • Upcoming Federal Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Upcoming State Election Dates and Deadlines
  • Eligibility Requirements
  • Identification Requirements
  • Voter Materials Transmission Options
  • State Lookup Tools – Am I Registered? Where’s my Ballot?

Population-Specific information and Resources

Voting Rights: Laws, Cases, Policy

Voter Engagement

Voter Education

Campaign Finance/Funding Information

Primary Sources, Lesson Plans & Exhibits

Disclaimer

Librarians from the Government Documents Round Table (GODORT), a Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA), created these reference guides. These guides are intended for informational purposes only and are not in any way intended to be legal advice.

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These guides are designated with a Creative Commons license and re-use and modification for educational purposes is encouraged.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.