By Paul Bean
The Election Integrity Network is hosting a summit Saturday, October 11, in Worcester, Massachusetts aimed at strengthening voter protections and election integrity in New England.
The website promises “an amazing day of speakers, collaboration and education on several topics that are imperative for transparent and fair elections.”
The event will dive into strategies for safeguarding our election, specifically cleaning voter rolls, nation-wide voter ID advocacy, and scrutinizing mail-in voting practices.
Organizers describe the gathering as a collaborative effort to “come together for election integrity in New England,” with a $20 early-bird registration fee that includes lunch, ($30 post October 3). Attendees can register online via the event’s dedicated page at NewEnglandSummit.eventbrite.com.
Key sessions include:
- “How Citizens Can Clean Voter Rolls,” focusing on grassroots efforts to identify and remove ineligible registrations.
- “Stopping the Threat of Non-Citizen Voting,” exploring legal and procedural hurdles to prevent unauthorized participation.
- Dangers of Universal Voting by Mail,” a critical examination of risks associated with widespread ballot distribution.
- Realities of Ranked Choice Voting and National Popular Vote,” dissecting the implications of alternative voting systems.
New England states are currently attempting to grapple with ballot access, verification, and fraud prevention. With the 2026 midterms near, these states are at the forefront of a broader national debate on voter convenience because of their vast differences in voter policy:
New Hampshire has emerged as a leader in tightening absentee voting rules, with a photo ID law taking effect just this week. Signed into law by Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte in August, Senate Bill 287 requires voters requesting absentee ballots to provide proof of identity, either by presenting a valid photo ID in person to their local clerk, submitting a copy of their ID alongside the application, or including a notarized signature.
NH Secretary of State David Scanlan, said the changes are essential for ”preventing debasement and dilution of New Hampshire citizens’ votes.” The law applies to the upcoming November municipal elections.
This November In Maine, voters will decide on a controversial citizen-led initiative, Question 1 on the referendum ballot proposes the elimination two days of early absentee voting, prohibiting ballot requests by phone or family members, ending automatic ongoing absentee status for seniors and people with disabilities, banning prepaid postage on return envelopes, limiting drop boxes, and mandating photo ID at polling places.
Massachusetts also has multiple citizen initiatives filed for the 2026 ballot that seek to address voter identification and absentee procedures. Petition 25-05, “A Law to Require Voter Identification in Massachusetts – Version B,” which seeks to mandate photo ID for all in-person and mail-in voters, a departure from the state’s current system where first-time mail registrants must provide ID but others do not.
Massachusetts also has Petition 25-06, “A Law to Require Compliance with the Current Absentee Ballot Procedure for Early Mail-in Voting,” which seeks to subject mail-in options to the same affidavit and verification rules as traditional absentee ballots. These proposals, originated by at least 10 registered voters each, must collect thousands of signatures by mid-2026 to qualify.
Vermont certainly stands apart in New England, with a politically progressive approach to voting access while limiting paths for direct ballot initiatives. Since a 2021 law change, the state automatically mails ballots to all registered voters for general elections held every November in even years. This makes Vermont one of eight U.S. states (alongside California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington) to do so.
Universial mailed ballots for general elections contrasts with primaries, where voters must request ballots, and emphasizes convenience over in-person polling.
First-time voters who registered by mail must include a copy of photo ID or a document showing name and address (like a utility bill) with their ballot.
There is no statewide voter ID requirement at polls, and no-excuse absentee voting is available for all. Unlike Maine or Massachusetts, Vermont prohibits citizen-initiated statewide ballot measures; such changes must originate from the legislature itself.
Local ballot initiatives, often tied to Town Meetings, are possible town by town but remain at the discretion of selectboards and city councils, allowing for piecemeal and advisory reforms without state impact.
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Categories: Elections
Additionally, incredibly, all votes are now (by law) unverified outcomes of tabulator machines that are incredible venerable and easy to alter the outcomes. The smaller town refuse to add a hand count which would be a double check on the outcomes, flagging any that were outside the range of 2-4 votes off. This is a “trust the machine”, we do, outcome when we shouldn’t- ints not integrity by any means.
The SOS must be watched like a hawk, this next election cycle, on all fronts.
I trust her as far as I can throw Champ !
The left has targeted the SOS offices nationwide, to get their players in, to insure that if you run the elections, you stay in power…same with the courts.
Follow the money!
Trump is dismantling this undemocratically controlled machine, piece by piece, and it is going to get interesting indeed, with some going to jail, doing hard time, and if this I’ve no doubt.
My greatest hope is that the Banana Belt becomes Vermont once again.
Stay tuned
We absolutely need voter ID. Plus, COVID IS OVER! There is no reason for mail-in ballots for everyone any more! We need to go back to pre-COVID Voting! Unless you meet those rules get to the polls and vote just like we all used to do for centuries! And have a legal ID!
Trump is definitely dismantling the machine. The best part is that he is installing himself as the new leader. Hopefully, republicans will vote out all of congress and the senate and just let trump run the show. Wouldn’t that just be ideal? Why do we need states? Get rid of those too. Just one big beautiful country run by trump. All will be well.
As the Chair of the BAC in my Town I can tell you we know exactly how to keep our voting rolls pristine and we do. But we are a tiny Town. The biggest problem in the State is the fact everyone gets a mail in ballot. There’s ballots going out to dead people, people that have moved etc. so there can be ballots floating around out there. You are correct that the BAC’s in each Town/City MUST stay on top of their Grand Lists of Voters and keep them absolutely clean.
There’s absolutely no reason for SOS to continue with mail in Ballots except to those eligible for the pre-COVID! Also, students attending school in VERMONT should not be voting in our State! They should be registered and vote in their Home State! Non-Citizens should not be voting at all in our Country. I don’t care if they live here or not. Voting is a right that comes with Citizenship period! It’s time for things to change in Vermont and our Country as well!
Waterbury doesn’t have a single conservative/Republican, Justice of the Peace. So the election here is only overseen by Liberal/Progressives? What could possibly go wrong??? I ran as a Republican and did not get elected, nor did any other Republican. Also, the Dominion voting machine (I think it’s Dominion) does NOT give a readout/printout of who you voted for, so who knows what it selects? There is only one member on the town board that is local and “conservative”. The others are all from other states and were installed/voted in after COVID. Crazy, if you ask me. Need more local and conservatives on the Waterbury Select Board.
No one should be able to vote unless they can prove they are a US citizen with a valid US citizens ID. Stop the fraud. Stop being illegal voting. Stop illegals from voting. Stop the Democrats from destroying our country.
Meanwhile: October 1, 2025, Maine Woman Discovers Hundreds of Election Ballots in Amazon Package as State Considers Voter ID – As Maine considers the “Yes on One” Voter ID law, hundreds of ballots mysteriously turn up in an Amazon shipment. The resident, stunned by the find, immediately turned the ballots over to the town office. – The Maine Wire
How many ‘mysterious’ ballots are still out there in Maine?
Does Vermont have robust voter ID laws? Nope. In fact, the required signatures on the envelopes of Vermont’s mail-in ballots can’t be verified because Vermont Town Clerks don’t keep voter signatures on file. So, what’s the point of signing the mail-in ballot envelope?
Re: “New England states are currently attempting to grapple with ballot access, verification, and fraud prevention.”
Apparently, Vermont isn’t a ‘New England state’. It’s a legislative fiefdom. After all, statewide Vermont ballot laws can only be made by the legislature.
What? Me worry?