Vermont’s USPS mail delivery has become intermittent in many towns, due to employee shortages. However, the Secretary of State’s Office told VDC last month that USPS will prioritize delivery of ballots. Nevertheless, Secretary Copeland Hanzas said voters who choose to mail their ballot back to do so promptly.
Copeland Hanzas knew she was lying when she made this “definitively, no,” claim in March, because by her own admission these potential problems were brought to her attention last December. Which is also an untruth because many people – like me! – have been raising this sirens-blaring, arms waiving, red flag for literally years.
Suit #64 against the Trump administration by Vermont AG Charity Clark.
Last week H. Brooke Paige withdrew from several statewide offices to make room on the ballot for the Vermont Republican Party to appoint three new names to the November ballot.
Vermont’s plans to mail ballots to all active registered voters for the November general election remain unchanged – for now, anyway – despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Monday that removed one legal barrier to the Trump administration’s proposed new restrictions on voting by mail, Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas said Tuesday.
Vermont gubernatorial candidate Brian Judd is promising to use the governor’s executive authority aggressively if elected in November, including seeking to repeal Act 181, restore state psychiatric hospitals and conduct broad audits of state government and nonprofit organizations.
An increasing number of Democrats are endorsing Lt. Gov. John Rodgers (R) over Dem. challenger Molly Gray.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amanda Janoo heads a group of Vermont Progressive Party-endorsed candidates who advanced in the Aug. 11 primary and are now headed to the November general election, according to Ballotpedia.com.
Midterm voting integrity is embroiled in panicked lawfare.
Voters in Connecticut and Vermont went to the polls Tuesday to decide primary races that showcased Democrats’ struggle between moderates and its progressive left wing and demands for generational change in Congress.
House races, however, saw a pair of incumbents replaced. John Bartholomew of Windsor and Jim Masland both finished third in their two-seat district primaries. All of the other House candidates in contested primaries were renominated.
Janoo, 38, entered the race in March with little statewide name recognition and had never before run for public office.
Click on link to contested candidate spreadsheet, and/or Secretary of State Election Results page, for primary election results.
Sarah George won re-election as state’s attorney, despite losing in Burlington.
St. Albans lawyer files for General Election in November
JT Dodge is mounting a write-in campaign for Orange County high bailiff in Tuesday’s Aug. 11 primary, saying he wants to bring a constitutional-conservative approach to the little-known county office.
The 2026 Primary Election is tomorrow, August 11. Vermonters will go to the voting booth to decide which candidates will run for their party in the November election. For state representatives, the majority of primary races are being fought within the Vermont Democratic Party.
Lavoie resigned under pressure of possible impeachment in August 2023.
Time to avenge Jack McMullen.
In the Democratic race for Governor, Amanda Janoo of Burlington and Aly Richards of Montpelier are facing off to challenge incumbent Republican Governor Phil Scott. Janoo is the current frontrunner of the race with 52% undecided, according to recent polling. Richards’ campaign has drawn scrutiny over her campaign finance with strong ties to nonprofit organizations and receiving Super PAC funding.
Follows state police investigation of Officer Joshua Lake
Three candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination in the August 11 primary election for the Bennington County Senate district. Amy Moore is running to give rural voices representation in the district and as a working Vermonter, bring some diversity to the district’s representation. She is running in the primary against incumbent Democrats, Sen. Rob Plunkett and Sen. Seth Bongartz.
On Tuesday, August 11, the question is really this: has State’s Attorney Sarah George’s approach to prosecuting crime earned more time to prove itself — or has the county seen enough of it?
The leading fundraiser in the August 11 contested Democrat primary for the three seats in the Chittenden Central Vermont Senate district has raised a significant portion of his campaign treasury from Americans of Indian descent living out of state.
South Burlington resident Esther Charlestin says she wants to use the office to bring Vermonters together, arguing that the lieutenant governor’s greatest strength is the ability to bring people together across political and geographic divides to address the state’s challenges.
In response to an inquiry from the Vermont Daily Chronicle, Wesley Dunn of the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office said the issue was limited to the sample ballot posted online and did not affect the official absentee ballots sent to voters.
Incumbent Sen. Steven Heffernan, who won his seat in the Senate in 2024 after defeating longtime Democratic Sen. Chris Bray, is seeking a second term.
Republican primaries are rare in Vermont. But in Addison County, three candidates – Andrea Treadway, Andrew Klein, and incumbent Steve Heffernan- are competing for the GOP nomination for the two Senate seats.
Within weeks of campaigning alongside his Vermont booster, Platner withdrew from the Senate campaign amid a slew of accusations highlighting alleged inappropriate behavior with women.
Will Bernie win the Democratic nomination in 2028? Hear Mark Halperin explain why he thinks so on Chronicle Conversations at 12:30 ttoday on WVMT.
The political establishment is reeling from analyst Mark Halperin’s prediction that Vermont’s senior senator is likely be the left’s presidential nominee in two years.
In a July 7 letter to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who heads the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, reminded state officials of their obligations under federal election laws, including the National Voter Registration Act, the Voting Rights Act, the Help America Vote Act and the Civil Rights Act.
Sharp dip in governor’s popularity among Republicans
Postmaster General David Steiner defended the rule at a Senate hearing and dismissed accusations that the Postal Service was acting politically after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March restricting voting by mail.
LaClair is among the three Republicans seeking the nomination for the three-seat district. He, Christopher Neddo of Barre Town, and Peter Schmeekle of Stowe will face the winners of the contested Democratic primary: incumbents Ann Cumming, Andrew Perchlik, Anne Watson, and challenger Gabriel LaJeunesse.
Everyone still has the same rights except non-citizens who arrived illegally, but when the US Supreme Court declared that it is unconstitutional and a violation of the Voting Rights Act to use discrimination (race) as a means of drawing congressional districts, Vermont had to act.
Despite political differences, descendants of longtime lawmaker, prosecutor ‘intend to keep the race cordial”
Whether we live in Swanton, Guilford, Pownal, or anywhere in between, Vermonters take pride in our self-sufficiency and resilience. When we see a problem, we fix it, whether it’s a broken fence or a broken economy. The next two years of the Trump administration will almost certainly see Washington punishing so-called “blue states” like Vermont with less federal help than ever. No one is coming to save us, so it’s up to us to invest in ourselves, and our communities.
Pitre currently volunteers throughout Lamoille County and surrounding communities, including organizing and participating in local music programs for seniors, individuals with special needs, and community gatherings.
A Richards campaign ad released last week shows her playing the Governor Mom role. Her kitchen – peanut butter jar and all – is her stage as she pitches Vermonters on why Scott was wrong to veto the data center bill.
Fights are on to replace Grismore and Palmer
Lone state’s attorney’s race is in Chittenden County with George and Kranichfeld
Don’t count your chickens until you know they’re chickens
Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Ryan McLaren on Monday, May 18 unveiled his “Yes In My Back Yard Tax Credit” plan to provide municipalities with $25,000 in education property tax relief for every new home fully permitted this year.
The agreement is called the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC), a multi-state pact designed to ensure that the winner of the national popular vote becomes president of the United States. Under the compact, participating states agree to award all of their electoral votes to the national popular vote winner, regardless of how their own state voted.
And legislators don’t want to solve it.
Chittenden County candidates gear up for crowded race ahead of August primary.
LaClair served as a Barre Town representative in the Vermont House from 2014-2022.
This seems to reveal the heart of the issue: a fundamental disagreement between the Ethics Commission and the Secretary of State’s office over who should post the disclosure for candidates, with both offices either unwilling or understaffed to answer questions about the form for prospective candidates.
Suspend the financial disclosure provision of state law for just this election? what gives? Ii seems like there is a more severe dysfunction at work, Paul Dame says.
While I’ll buy Richards is likely to put up a better show than Esther Charlestin or Brenda Siegel based purely on fundraising capabilities and a political network, Democrats might think twice about hitching their wagon to what, when examined under the brighter scrutiny of a campaign, is a dumpster fire of a record that any sane politician would run away from.
Vermont Republican Party Chair Paul Dame is criticizing Democratic gubernatorial candidate Aly Richards following her campaign launch, framing her candidacy as emblematic of broader Democratic policy priorities.
H.541 would create new penalties as clerks report disruptions during elections
The executive order requires the United States Postal Service to deliver absentee and mail-in ballots only to voters included on those lists.
Attorney General Charity Clark has endorsed a candidate in the race for Chittenden County State’s Attorney, offering early backing in what is expected to be a competitive August primary.
Dean Roy is a 14-year-old freshman at Stowe High School who is running for governor of Vermont — something the state’s constitution permits, since it sets no minimum age for candidates. Roy didn’t join either major party. He founded his own, the Freedom and Unity Party; a refreshing departure from the two-party system.
“in order for us to have faith that the outcome of the election reflects the will of the people we need as many people as we can possibly get to vote. I think we should be aiming for 100% participation.,” Copeland-Hanzas said.
Franklin County State’s Attorney and Burlington resident Bram Kranichfeld announced Monday, March 30, that he will challenge incumbent Sarah George in the Democratic primary for Chittenden County State’s Attorney.
How do we make it easy to vote, but hard to cheat? Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas, Rob Roper, Montpelier City Clerk John Odum, and Ron Lawrence will explain their positions.
Our elections system is currently designed to maximize cheating.
Known for gun-control legislation.
A risk with so many of Rutland’s big-name politicians running on a write-in ballot on March 3 was laid out by Ray LaMoria, a retired Rutland police detective, on Facebook in response to Allaire’s decision. “I’m concerned that there (are) so many good candidates including yourself for Mayor that it is going to split the vote and provide the opportunity (for) someone who shouldn’t be mayor (to) get elected. Too bad you guys couldn’t coalesce around one candidate with the same values for this one-year position.” A reported 13 candidates will also be on the ballot for five open Board of Aldermen seats.
The SAVE Act passed by the narrowest of margins in the House of Representatives, where only one Democrat (Rep. Henry Cuellar – TX), voted in favor of the bill. But it also needs to be passed by the Senate, where the vote will again be very close. Sen. John Fetterman (PA) is the only Democrat who said that he will vote for it. However, the two TDS-infested Republican Senators – Murkowski (AL) and Collins (ME) say that they will vote against it.
Vermont Democrats have introduced yet another sweeping elections bill — and once again, it comes with a familiar progressive feature: more lawsuits, more enforcement power, and more ways for municipalities to get dragged into court.
Should all Vermonters receive food assistance benefits? This idea was voiced Thursday in the House Committee on Human Services by Molly Gray, the executive director of the Vermont Afghan Alliance, former Vermont Lieutenant Governor, and 2026 Democratic candidate for Vermont Lieutenant Governor. Gray was joined by Drukhshan Farhad, the Program Officer of the Vermont Afghan Alliance, for testimony on updates to noncitizen eligibility of 3SquaresVT, which is Vermont’s version of SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).
Plans to run for Vermont Senate
A nation without borders is not a nation, and a democracy without clear voter eligibility rules is not a democracy.
Pushes left-wing narrative despite evidence.
Vermonters deserve an elections system that is convenient, but also secure and accurate. We have the former, but we do not at present have the latter. Moreover, multiple polls by a wide spectrum of pollsters such show around 80% of people support Voter ID. Passing H.670 should be a no-brainer.
Vermont now mails over half a million absentee ballots to every person on the voter checklist (unless formally challenged) for general elections without request, creating a large pool of unclaimed, unwanted, and misdirected “live” absentee ballots that can be abused to impact the outcome of local elections.
Former Vermont Lt. Gov. Molly Gray will again run for the state’s second-highest office next year, according to reporting from Seven Days and the Journal-Opinion.
This is among several concerns in their new report titled the Vermont Voter Roll Integrity Analysis, prompting a response from the Secretary of State’s Office, sent to VDC by its chief of staff Bryan Mills on Friday, November 14.
Russ Ingalls criticizes Dame for calling his backers ‘cowards.’
You can mock the No Kings rallies, but the Left’s base is fired up to strike a blow against Trump. Vermont Republicans need an agenda that fires up their base every bit as much if not more if they want to hold their gains from 2024 and add to them in 2026.
An anonymous postcard critical of incumbent GOP chair Paul Dame’s fundraising record was mailed from Hartford, Connecticut this week and received by Republicans who will be voting in the Saturday, November 8 election.
Vermonters know the difference between free speech and legalized bribery. These reforms aren’t radical — they’re common sense. They represent the baseline of what a healthy democracy needs to survive.
A Vermont college grad is under the gun in Maine for an unfolding election-ballot scandal.
There is no statewide voter ID requirement at polls, and no-excuse absentee voting is available for all.
Trump’s proposed executive order has stirred a partisan storm. But step back from the slogans, and the evidence points to a simpler truth: voter ID laws may impose a minor hurdle for some, but they have not prevented record participation. Instead, they may serve a larger purpose—ensuring that every legitimate voter’s choice is protected, and that lawful ballots are not canceled out by unlawful or invalid ones.
We need to get back to a system where there are, in practice, multiple eyes on every step of the process from registering a voter to casting a ballot to counting the votes. But to achieve this we will need to pass new election laws that meet this standard. I hope our lawmakers will do this in 2026.
When Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) defended voting access on social media, he leaned on a familiar line: “More Americans are struck by lightning every year than commit voter fraud.” It’s a catchy sound bite. It suggests fraud is so rare that worrying about it is like worrying about unicorns. But what happens if we pull the numbers apart and look not just at perpetrators, but at victims?
Even in cases involving repeat offenders, cash bail is often posted by non-profits, and the suspect walks free without losing their own cash, George said.
Copeland-Hanzas, who announced her bid for re-election on Monday, said “our office has no plans to share Vermont voter data with the federal government.”
Only California and Hawaii are worse.
There’s a bill in Congress to make voting harder for EVERYONE
One of the readers and commenters of this great news outlet asked how do we “get someone out of office?” There are many things a single individual can do. It all counts. Do not let the devil convince you that your vote or opinion doesn’t matter. Do not hide behind that weak rhetoric.
Most witnesses have supported the bill, but a few concerns have come up about free speech and news media’s liabilities.
Or will the policy expand to cover school board elections and more?
Vermont voters pay the price
Concerns have been raised that Democrats might be using the platform to circumvent campaign finance laws, incl. VT Dem candidates.
“I think it’s something that Vermont could consider,” Sen. Brian Collamore (R-Rutland) said. “Certainly other states are.”
While money helps – a lot – neither is it a sure thing. The second and third largest state senate fundraisers both lost their elections.
A PAC with missing money, unfiled reports, and unanswered questions
“I don’t think it’s a partisan issue,” Copeland Hanzas said. “It’s really just to make sure that elections are honest and accurate and fair.”
House Democrats poised to disenfranchise Bennington 1 voters?
The seven sponsors of S.23 include Republicans, Democrats, and Progressives, and four of the five members of Senate Gov Ops.
“I’ve been swinging a hammer for a lot of years,” laughed the lifelong farmer/contractor. “I think I can handle a gavel.”
Brock told VDC in the hallway that “amidst conversations with the Republican caucus we determined that it would not be the proper action at this time to oppose Senator Baruth but that could be readdressed in the future. Do you know what pro tempore means in Latin? President for the time being.”
Before the ballots were distributed, several lawmakers praised Krowinski’s even temperament.
I was in Kenya during their last national election, in 2022. And it was scary. We are walking down that same dark road.
