Prop 2 passed statewide by almost 8-1 vote
By Guy Page
On November 8, every Vermont city and town voted to amended the state constitution to prohibit slavery and indentured servitude.
Although presented in the Vermont Legislature as removing the last vestiges of pre-Civil War slavery from the state constitution, Proposal 2/Article 1 also was supported by criminal justice reform advocates who liken present-day incarceration to slavery.
Of the 291,955 ballots cast, 238,466 were filled in with a Yes vote, 30,335 No, 420 were ‘overvotes’ (discounted for voting both yes and no), and 22,734 were left blank.
The ratio of Yes to No votes was 7.86/1, more than twice the 3.31/1 ratio of Yes/No votes cast for Prop 5/Article 22, the ‘reproductive liberty’ amendment. However the 22,734 blank votes for Proposal 2 were almost 50% higher than the 15,340 for Prop 5, indicating possibly less knowledge about or more indifference to Prop 2 compared to Prop 5.
As with Prop 5, the heavily-Democratic, college staff bedroom town of Norwich had the highest Yes/No ratio: 26.3/1. Montpelier was about 19/1.
The following is a town-by-town vote count on Proposal 2:
ADDISON 555 108
ALBANY 332 79
ALBURGH 563 155
ANDOVER 247 48
ARLINGTON 981 129
ATHENS 126 37
BAKERSFIELD 447 76
BALTIMORE 89 16
BARNARD 464 44
BARNET 702 112
BARRE CITY 2,280 355
BARRE TOWN 2,928 558
BARTON 701 137
BELVIDERE 110 28
BENNINGTON 4,317 633
BENSON 338 92
BERKSHIRE 360 102
BERLIN 1,004 155
BETHEL 692 93
BLOOMFIELD 84 19
BOLTON 545 57
BRADFORD 958 129
BRAINTREE 454 91
BRANDON 1,383 213
BRATTLEBORO 4,530 287
BRIDGEWATER 338 51
BRIDPORT 470 97
BRIGHTON 308 61
BRISTOL 1,495 187
BROOKFIELD 578 114
BROOKLINE 237 21
BROWNINGTON 200 128
BRUNSWICK 46 6
BURKE 606 106
BURLINGTON 15,042 834
CABOT 586 103
CALAIS 781 72
CAMBRIDGE 1,468 140
CANAAN 262 50
CASTLETON 1,271 272
CAVENDISH 511 95
CHARLESTON 280 83
CHARLOTTE 2,027 115
CHELSEA 438 95
CHESTER 1,161 151
CHITTENDEN 544 103
CLARENDON 814 221
COLCHESTER 6,033 693
CONCORD 360 91
CORINTH 538 81
CORNWALL 619 35
COVENTRY 293 69
CRAFTSBURY 526 69
DANBY 482 99
DANVILLE 1,016 162
DERBY 1,427 301
DORSET 988 82
DOVER 565 67
DUMMERSTON 961 54
DUXBURY 595 64
EAST HAVEN 85 8
EAST MONTPELIER 1,246 103
EDEN 347 71
ELMORE 429 38
ENOSBURGH 797 171
ESSEX JUNCTION CITY 4,102 383
ESSEX TOWN 4,784 569
FAIR HAVEN 763 155
FAIRFAX 1,906 326
FAIRFIELD 685 138
FAIRLEE 418 34
FAYSTON 700 47
FERRISBURGH 1,263 181
FLETCHER 546 92
FRANKLIN 449 103
GEORGIA 1,742 303
GLOVER 423 70
GOSHEN 83 20
GRAFTON 276 43
GRANBY 19 11
GRAND ISLE 905 186
GRANVILLE 114 11
GREENSBORO 347 27
GROTON 345 78
GUILDHALL 102 25
GUILFORD 904 124
HALIFAX 310 71
HANCOCK 125 9
HARDWICK 888 135
HARTFORD 4,153 351
HARTLAND 1,412 168
HIGHGATE 908 247
HINESBURG 2,108 214
HOLLAND 192 55
HUBBARDTON 269 38
HUNTINGTON 979 76
HYDE PARK 1,104 153
IRA 166 31
IRASBURG 368 118
ISLE LA MOTTE 214 53
JAMAICA 353 35
JAY 191 40
JERICHO 2,576 285
JOHNSON 965 130
KILLINGTON 541 55
KIRBY 239 30
LANDGROVE 100 7
LEICESTER 343 80
LEMINGTON 25 9
LINCOLN 681 54
LONDONDERRY 699 76
LOWELL 230 84
LUDLOW 778 112
LUNENBURG 317 78
LYNDON 1,450 291
MAIDSTONE 98 8
MANCHESTER 1,871 152
MARLBORO 461 30
MARSHFIELD 581 112
MENDON 478 74
MIDDLEBURY 3,027 151
MIDDLESEX 836 96
MIDDLETOWN SPRINGS 393 69
MILTON 3,665 651
MONKTON 950 124
MONTGOMERY 490 82
MONTPELIER 3,893 207
MORETOWN 852 71
MORGAN 215 73
MORRISTOWN 2,124 235
MOUNT HOLLY 545 98
MOUNT TABOR 74 9
NEW HAVEN 784 101
NEWARK 223 54
NEWBURY 800 108
NEWFANE 798 68
NEWPORT CITY 1,037 202
NEWPORT TOWN 448 108
NORTH HERO 513 69
NORTHFIELD 1,566 228
NORTON 63 23
NORWICH 1,922 73
ORANGE 325 92
ORWELL 494 70
PANTON 292 33
PAWLET 596 119
PEACHAM 384 30
PERU 199 12
PITTSFIELD 232 32
PITTSFORD 1,004 192
PLAINFIELD 574 38
PLYMOUTH 251 42
POMFRET 518 34
POULTNEY 1,056 184
POWNAL 1,078 233
PROCTOR 560 116
PUTNEY 1,026 68
RANDOLPH 1,826 255
READING 332 33
READSBORO 255 59
RICHFORD 483 125
RICHMOND 2,069 160
RIPTON 292 12
ROCHESTER 499 46
ROCKINGHAM 1,508 203
ROXBURY 276 30
ROYALTON 954 122
RUPERT 305 40
RUTLAND CITY 4,647 809
RUTLAND TOWN 1,599 313
RYEGATE 384 71
SAINT ALBANS CITY 1,919 270
SAINT ALBANS TOWN 2,416 401
SAINT GEORGE 281 41
SAINT JOHNSBURY 2,181 326
SALISBURY 405 67
SANDGATE 164 25
SEARSBURG 37 6
SHAFTSBURY 1,455 185
SHARON 561 65
SHEFFIELD 216 52
SHELBURNE 3,789 251
SHELDON 535 116
SHOREHAM 482 65
SHREWSBURY 468 80
SOUTH BURLINGTON 8,747 559
SOUTH HERO 925 130
SPRINGFIELD 2,644 452
STAMFORD 282 100
STANNARD 82 9
STARKSBORO 717 106
STOCKBRIDGE 326 38
STOWE 2,262 139
STRAFFORD 599 34
STRATTON 121 11
SUDBURY 250 31
SUNDERLAND 448 53
SUTTON 304 56
SWANTON 1,849 403
THETFORD 1,380 81
TINMOUTH 231 54
TOPSHAM 349 97
TOWNSHEND 485 50
TROY 445 114
TUNBRIDGE 570 84
UNDERHILL 1,658 154
VERGENNES 1,064 103
VERNON 666 160
VERSHIRE 292 36
VICTORY 32 13
WAITSFIELD 899 63
WALDEN 366 76
WALLINGFORD 771 177
WALTHAM 232 23
WARDSBORO 295 48
WARREN 867 53
WASHINGTON 384 81
WATERBURY 2,483 152
WATERFORD 509 92
WATERVILLE 283 41
WEATHERSFIELD 1,158 204
WELLS 425 109
WEST FAIRLEE 240 14
WEST HAVEN 97 13
WEST RUTLAND 683 164
WEST WINDSOR 643 49
WESTFIELD 240 38
WESTFORD 970 108
WESTMINSTER 1,247 110
WESTMORE 133 17
WESTON 314 34
WEYBRIDGE 490 24
WHEELOCK 273 66
WHITING 147 20
WHITINGHAM 424 107
WILLIAMSTOWN 1,027 260
WILLISTON 4,962 422
WILMINGTON 744 93
WINDHAM 203 26
WINDSOR 1,224 155
WINHALL 421 20
WINOOSKI 2,403 154
WOLCOTT 610 76
WOODBURY 388 57
WOODFORD 124 28
WOODSTOCK 1,468 116
WORCESTER 437 52