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“Firearms are not allowed in other sensitive areas in our civic life,” Copeland-Hanzas says
by Guy Page
Don’t come packing to the polls, either on Election Day or in the ‘early voting’ period in which absentee votes are hand-carried to the Town Clerk’s office. Due to a new state law, possession of firearms will be illegal at Vermont polling places beginning with the August 13 statewide primary, the Vermont Secretary of State’s office announced.
The Legislature passed S.209, the so-called ‘ghost gun’ bill, on May 10. Gov. Scott allowed the bill to become law without his signature. In addition to bans on unserialized guns, the law states (section 4027, see page 10 of this PDF):
“A person shall not knowingly possess a firearm at a polling place or on the walks leading to a building in which a polling place is located on an election day. The provisions….shall apply to the town clerk’s office during any period when a board of civil authority has voted to permit early voting. A person who violates this section shall be imprisoned not more than one year or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both.”
This clause was added to the bill after its introduction. A firearms ban bill was introduced in the House but went nowhere. In his letter to the Legislature, Scott said he allowed the bill to pass because the Legislature compromised somewhat on the serialization part of the bill, but added: “In addition to my concerns about this bill’s effectiveness, I would have preferred the Legislature not criminalize mere possession when there is no evidence of criminal intent.”
Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas said the newly enacted statewide law that prohibits firearms in polling locations. “Firearms are not allowed in other sensitive areas in our civic life. Our office supports extending that prohibition to polling locations,” said Copeland Hanzas. “Ultimately, we all play an important role to make sure that our elections run smoothly and securely. This is a big election year, and it’s crucial that every eligible Vermonter can make their voice heard.”
As part of their work to support clerks and local election officials, the Secretary noted that her office will be producing educational materials and posters before the Primary Election, including a poster related to the prohibition against firearms in polling places. In addition, they will provide de-escalation and security training for clerks and poll workers.
Sean Morales-Doyle, director of the Voting Rights Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, praised Vermont’s legislators for passing this legislation in a statement this week.
“The new ban on guns at polling places is common sense, and it will help keep the state’s elections safe,” Morales-Doyle said in this “Democracy Docket” post. “No one should be at risk of intimidation or violence while casting a ballot. We hope more states follow in Vermont’s footsteps.”.
The 2020 and 2022 elections saw a sharp rise in violence and threats of violence against election workers: more than 40% of state legislators experienced threats or attacks in the past three years, and more than 18% experienced them within the past year and a half, according to a recent report from the Brennan Center for Justice, Democracy Docket said.
Candidates taking shape – Copeland-Hanzas also reported (see below) the final list of party-backed statewide and Federal candidates for primary. However, the list of House and Senate has not been finalized.
Independent candidates have until August 8th to file for the November general election ballot. Statewide and Federal candidates that have qualified to run in the Primary Election are as follows:
| U.S. Senator | ||
| Bernie Sanders, D-Burlington | Gerald Malloy, R-Weathersfield | |
| U.S. Representative | ||
| Becca Balint, D-Brattleboro | Mark Coester, R-Westminster | |
| Governor | ||
| Esther Charlestin, D-MiddleburyPeter K. Duval, D-Underhill | Marielle Blais, P-Brandon | Phil Scott, R-Berlin |
| Lieutenant Governor | ||
| David Zuckerman, D-HinesburgThomas Renner, D-Winooski | Zoraya Hightower, P-Burlington | John S. Rodgers, R-GloverGregory M. Thayer, R-Rutland City |
| Treasurer | ||
| Mike Pieciak, D-Winooski | Tim Maciel, P-Brattleboro | Joshua Bechhoefer, R-CornwallH. Brooke Paige, R-Washington |
| Secretary of State | ||
| Sarah Copeland Hanzas, D-Bradford | H. Brooke Paige, R-Washington | |
| Auditor of Accounts | ||
| Doug Hoffer, D-Burlington | Linda Gravell, P-Waterbury | H. Brooke Paige, R-Washington |
| Attorney General | ||
| Charity R. Clark, D-Williston | Elijah Bergman, P-Danby | H. Brooke Paige, R-Washington |
A preliminary record of the Major Party Primary candidates can be found here, including State Senate, State Representative, and High Bailiff candidates.
The requirements for the number of signatures for a petition vary by office. For Federal and statewide offices, a prospective candidate must file 500 signatures, while a run for State Senate or County Office requires 100, and a State Representative candidate must gather 50. Vermont law requires candidates seeking office to file a candidate consent form.
Secretary Copeland Hanzas reminded voters of one key difference between the August Primary and the March Presidential Primary: This summer, voters will be given all three major party ballots – Republican, Democrat, and Progressive – and will choose which party primary to vote in. Voters must return the other two, unmarked ballots, and the voted ballot will be recorded.
Voters may request absentee ballots through the My Voter Page at mvp.vermont.gov or by contacting their town or city clerk.
To find your town or city clerk, follow this link: https://sos.vermont.gov/elections/town-clerks/
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commie take over, one law at a time///// if i am subject to a robbery or my life put in danger will a poll worker protect me///// enough of this bull…./////
Totally right. This is just one more minute dig at our Second Amendments rights as the Marxist legislators work to slowly but surely chip away at it until it is all but gone. This is how Communists work. (And Chris….YES, Marxism is just a form of Communism, as is socialism, like it or not)
And they justify violating your Constitutional rights because why? How? Well, we all know of the repeated shootings that have historically plagued Vt polling places, right? It’s so commonplace, that if you have ever seen a “Vote Here” sign in Vt., you just know bullets will soon be flying.
T
Joan, why are you calling me out when I never said anything or have spoken to you. It’s not because you’re actually that unhinged lunatic Kathleen Gaffney, who probably had to change her name because she was too unhinged for VDC.
By the way, you guys could bring machine guns to the polls and people still aren’t going to vote for a 34-TIME CONVICTED FELON. (feels so good typing that)
Let me ask you and mday in his language: why do you need your pewpews at the polls//has anyone ever been robbed at the polls//where in the constitution does it say that you can have a gun ANYWHERE///do you cry that you can’t bring your gun to church or the hospital//are my priests and doctors commies///
Chris, where in the Constitution does it say you CAN’T have pew-pews at the polls? Or for that matter churches & hospitals. The right to bear arms shall not be infringed. Simple as.
And we’re all still voting for Trump, if not even more people than before, because the crime doesn’t exist and the trial was a Stalinesque sham.
But you’re 100% right about “Joan.” 😂
@Chris, why do you support government use of violence against peaceable people to illegally revoke the right of the people to be armed anywhere? Where does the constitution grant this authority? Why do YOU need this government use of violence? How is it equal protection to exempt certain government agents from these illegal laws? Don’t be a pervert.
What next?
Homeland security scanning of people going to vote?
Ya give them an inch…they’ll take a mile.
Get out there and vote every last Dem and leftist out of office.
Why is the Sec of State commenting on this?
Rank choice voting, you are pushing, got you unnerved about voters with guns?
Shoot….I’d be unnerved too, if I tried to pull something like that, on the people, from my elected position.
We are watching every move you make.
I,for one, do not trust you for a New York second and neither should the rest of Vermonts voters.
Rank choice my Yankee butt !
Rank treason is more what it looks like.
Thanks for making us all unarmed targets.
That steady drip, drip, drip to confiscation.
A new gun “safety” law that will make the parking lots of polling places a prime target for those who would break into cars to steal guns…complements of Baruth, Lalonde and the Vermont democrat party…
Seems to me laws like this only bolden criminals who plan to break a law (easy pickings). Or does some politician think a perpetrator is going to see this new law and have a change of plans? Why do we elect fools?
Well it’s a good for ctriminal nuts to know there’s yet ANOTHER place that guns are not allowed so there can be a nice amount/group of people they can can hurt/kill without issue!🙄
So our police station is in the same building as the town clerk’s (like many small towns) does this mean they can’t come to work? What about responding and o 911 calls @ the polls
And exactly how many firearm incidents has VT had at the polls in the last 20 years? This seems like a solution in search of a problem!
I WILL NOT OBEY
I WILL NOT COMPLY
A reminder to the Secretary of State: The 2nd Amendment does not grant us the right to keep and bear arms, it forbids the government from infringing on that right.
unfortunately our elected Attorney General is a marxist and does not recognize the validity or the authority of the Constitution, despite having taken an oath to uphold it.
I’m not really blaming her…it was the idiot majority of Vermont voters who put her there.
Vermont Constitution: Article 9. [Citizens’ rights and duties in the State; bearing arms; taxation]
“That every member of society hath a right to be protected in the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and therefore is bound to contribute the member’s proportion towards the expence of that protection, and yield personal service, when necessary, or an equivalent thereto, but no part of any person’s property can be justly taken, or applied to public uses, without the person’s own consent, or that of the Representative Body, nor can any person who is conscientiously scrupulous of bearing arms, be justly compelled thereto, if such person will pay such equivalent; nor are the people bound by any law but such as they have in like manner assented to, for their common good: and previous to any law being made to raise a tax, the purpose for which it is to be raised ought to appear evident to the Legislature to be of more service to community than the money would be if not collected.”
When reviewing all the VSA lawfare warfare papering over the basic principles and stated rights under our State Constitution, it would appear to me we have two sets of rules – theirs and ours. A banana Republic indeed. Unless you’re going to put up metal detectors or pat down every voter, your law isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. Nor is your ballot harvesting, illegal votes (foreign and domestic,) no signature verfications, no ID required, and any other unscrupulous trickery and fakery played upon the residents/taxpayers. Above all, for all the lawfare warfare gun laws, people are still being shot – even in gun-free zones such as Burlington. The criminals know your laws are toothless and inconsequential – when is everyone else going to catch on?
Signature verification will be used as a tool against the voter. My signature looks way different than when I registered to vote, and it’s too subjective without a forensic expert and impractical verification process.
And what about the Governors security they can’t come in either
Chris…
What in the name of GOD or your apparently personal favorite, His fallen angel, are u even talking about?
I dont even know what those non-words you spew imply nevertheless define, so why dont u try your level best with the mental health diagnoses u very clearly possess – to take settle, take your meds, and do some Yoga or something before u stroke out?
Geezum. Too bad the guidelines on here aren’t apparently followed. Loose cannons distract from Vermonters trying to conquer the Communist regime which has occupied this state. Maybe that’s the whole point.
Feel better later, teach.
Question: Since socialism is Communism and Communism is deadly and dangerous, and your state’s Senator is a self-described socialist, what are the mathematical odds that your Senator is a dangerous, deadly threat to your state’s population?
Answer: 100%
All teachers and their students need to memorize this important mathematical formulation….
Maybe an open carry exit pole and open carry entrance poll is in needed in every poll location from now on, just beyond outside of the walk way to the polls of course. You may need to park on the sides where people don’t walk to setup a table, and make sure you don’t walk on the walkways. Possibly open carry just outside of the property too.
Additionally, maybe we create a walkway to a supervised temporary gun locker so folks don’t keep their firearms unsecured in their vehicle before using the walkway to the polls. That sounds like a great service the Vermont gun lobby groups could use to hook some donations. Maybe gun shops can donate a box of ammo to anyone open carrying at these open carry exit/enter polls etc. If we don’t make them fight us, then we don’t win.
Right…another “gun-free zone”.
Perfect places for sicko shooters to shoot up the place knowing no one there can stop them.
Almost all mass shootings have occurred in “gun-free” zones.
Chris…what about these? U missed each point. When at first u don’t succeed…
what this law did was number 1: infringe on lawful gun owners/carriers rights, number 2. leave those of us that fall into that catagory AND are election officials no protection anymore. I carry every day, i work alone often, i am now not allowed to protect myself at work if a ballot is in the building, election day or not. Thanks legislators. oh, and we have no police force within 30 minutes, IF they were available to show up.
Carry concealed and dont ask…dont tell. It’s no one’s business that a law-abiding citizen is armed.