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But Senate Gov Ops chair open to compliance legislation
By Guy Page
The Vermont Secretary of State hotly contests President Donald Trump’s March 25 executive order requiring voter ID to prove U.S. citizenship.
“This executive order is a thinly veiled attempt to disenfranchise wide swaths of the American electorate and would fundamentally degrade the integrity of American elections,” SOS Sarah Copeland-Hanzas said in a March 26 press statement.
Copeland-Hanzas, a Democrat who as House Government Operations Committee Chair helped pass Vermont’s Covid-era legislation allowing mail-in ballots and dropboxes, said “this order would require every Vermonter to re-verify their citizenship status in person at their town clerk’s office. This would not only create a massive and expensive administrative burden; it would create an unnecessary hurdle for anyone who doesn’t have easy access to proof-of-citizenship documents.”
“We need to call this Executive Order out for what it is: an effort to disenfranchise voters, intimidate elections workers, and defund the functioning of our democracy. Disenfranchising tens of thousands of Vermonters in the name of preventing the minute chance that a non-citizen might be mistakenly added to the voter registration list will not bring integrity to our elections.”
– Secretary of State Sarah Copeland-Hanzas
However, the Chair of the Senate Government Operations Committee expressed openness to considering legislation making the changes required by the order. “I think it’s something that Vermont could consider,” Sen. Brian Collamore (R-Rutland) said. “Certainly other states are.”
Trump’s executive order is “a move to strengthen election security and public trust.” The order cites concerns that the United States “fails to enforce basic and necessary election protections employed by modern, developed nations.”
The executive order outlines several key policy changes and directives to federal agencies:
Votes in federal elections be cast and received by Election Day. “Numerous States fail to comply with those laws by counting ballots received after Election Day,” Trump says in the executive order.
Verifying voter citizenship. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is directed to update the national mail voter registration form to require documentary proof of United States citizenship. The order specifies acceptable forms of proof, including U.S. passports and REAL ID compliant identification. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Secretary of State are tasked with making database information available to state and local officials for citizenship verification. The Attorney General is instructed to prioritize the enforcement of laws prohibiting non-citizens from registering or voting.
Maintenance of accurate voter registration lists. The Secretary of Homeland Security will review state voter registration lists against federal immigration databases. Furthermore, the Commissioner of Social Security is directed to make the Social Security Number Verification Service and the Death Master File available to election officials for eligibility verification.
The Election Assistance Commission must amend voting system guidelines to favor voter-verifiable paper records and to limit the use of barcodes for vote counting. The EAC will also review and potentially re-certify voting systems under these new standards.
The order also targets foreign interference in elections, directing the Attorney General to prioritize the enforcement of laws prohibiting foreign nationals from contributing to or donating to U.S. elections. Additionally, the Attorney General is instructed to work with state election officials to share information on suspected election law violations and to prioritize federal enforcement in states unwilling to cooperate.
Finally, the order mandates the cessation of all agency actions implementing Executive Order 14019 (Promoting Access to Voting), which was previously revoked. The heads of all agencies and the EAC are required to report on their compliance with this new order within 90 days. The administration states that the goal of these actions is to ensure “free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion”.
Copeland Hanzas said the order is both punitive and unnecessary.
“If states do not comply with this and the other unreasonable provisions in the order – and the Trump administration knows many can’t or won’t – the order threatens prosecution of state/local elections officials and the termination of Federal funding, on which Vermont partially relies to operate our elections.
“Elections in Vermont are secure. Vermont already meets the purported aims of this order. Our voter rolls are meticulously updated at the state and local level, with scrutiny from over 247 town/city clerks who manage their jurisdictions’ voter checklists. We have a paper trail for every ballot cast and perform an in-depth audit after every General Election. Non-citizens are not allowed to vote in Federal or Statewide elections – all residents in Burlington, Winooski, and Montpelier are allowed to vote only in local/municipal elections.
‘All told, Vermont’s elections are secured on multiple, decentralized levels. We also strive to make our elections accessible, because we believe in supporting every eligible voter’s right to participate in our elections.
“We need to call this Executive Order out for what it is: an effort to disenfranchise voters, intimidate elections workers, and defund the functioning of our democracy. Disenfranchising tens of thousands of Vermonters in the name of preventing the minute chance that a non-citizen might be mistakenly added to the voter registration list will not bring integrity to our elections. It will pull Vermont in the wrong direction. After celebrating 70%+ voter participation in the last two Presidential elections for the first time in Vermont’s history, we should be working to involve even more Vermonters in our participatory democracy – not taking steps to exclude them.’
Copeland-Hanzas’ comments, while highly critical of the order in both tone and detail, appeared to stop short of explicitly promising non-compliance by her office, or recommending non-compliance to others. VDC has requested clarification and will publish it as soon as it is received.
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Categories: Elections
“We need to call this Executive Order out for what it is: an effort to disenfranchise voters, intimidate elections workers, and defund the functioning of our democracy.”
Yeah right, so people who are NOT legal residents can vote also. If you are registered and have an appropriate ID, you are NOT disenfranchised. Give me a break. This is typical Democrat word salad.
I’m totally all in for this Executive Order. It’s required in most of the countries that have some form democracy.
That’s exactly what the Democrats want! They can’t cheat if we have Voter ID! I work the polls every election and this would be wonderful in my opinion! When I first voted in Maryland I had to show my Voter Registration Card ( which apparently we don’t have here either) as well as my Drivers license. How is having to show ID supposedly going to surpress voters! We need to show ID for a zillion other things what’s the big deal about showing it to Vote! The only reason not to want it is to cheat and to allow all the illegals they let in to Vote! Well, them and the dead people! We all need to let our Reps know we support Voter ID in our State and in Our Country.
Good Point Timothy!
Using the same distorted thinking as the VT SOS:
Everyone is then disenfranchised from ALL situations and circumstances in our society when showing an ID is required? This is Ridiculous!!
Vermont’s Election System is corrupt and UNCONSTITUTIONAL simply by the fact it is UN-AUDITABLE due to NO BALLOT CHAIN OF CUSTODY!
There can be only one reason that VT’s SOS is against voter ID…you can’t fix an election if you have to verify every citizen voting. Electronic voting machines, like those forced on VT’s Town Clerks by the last SOS are next to be banned…the sooner the better.
You are absolutely correct! About 10 years or so ago Tracey Martel, who is now the Town Clerk in Victory sued because there were 11 people on Victory’s grand list that didn’t live here that were allowed to vote on Town Meeting Day back then. They owned property here but lived out of State. They said, our illustrious previous SOS said it was ok if they planned to retire there sometime later in the future! Tracey lost the race for Town Clerk but several votes. She sued and won and those 11 people were removed from the Grand List but this never should have happened. It’s just like SOS office mailing out Ballots to everyone! That was fine for COVID but to way to easy for people to cheat and unnecessary now. Those that qualify for mail in Ballots should still receive them. The rest should have to show up and show ID to vote period! The first time the previous SOS office mailed out Ballots our Grand List in Victory was pristine. Correct names and addresses had been sent to SOS Office. The SOS office sent the Ballots to addresses from 10-20 years before.. to dead people, people who no longer lived there and the Town Clerk and I didn’t get any because our homes and address didn’t exist back then!
I have a problem when someone with no skin in the game can vote in laws that will steal my house and my freedom.
Funny. You need an ID to buy booze, get married, join the military, buy a car, go to jury duty, get a passport, fly, get a drivers license, but find it intimidating, disenfranchising, and racist. Knock off the crap, get out the voter ID with photos. Other states do. Oh and you NEED to use an ID to vote. It has yer signature on it. All illegals go to the DMV for a non resident photo ID. And yes, they are so
Lucky, they even get drives licenses.
Exactly, which is why we need National Voter ID too!
Spot on!! You can’t even rent a Post Office box without a photo ID!!
also, to buy a gun from a dealer and to gain admittance to last year’s democrat national convention…
I am a citizen and a life-long resident (all 76 years). I also took civics in both elementary school and high school. The authority to manage elections is a state responsibility under the Constitution. The constitution cannot be changed by Executive Order – at least in the United States of America which I know.
This is but another example the current president trying to rule by executive fiat, rather than by law. He needs to get down to the business of running the country and not to the business of incurring one constitutional dispute after another.
Except that in the case of the election of federal officials, the federal government can and has passed requirements governing those elections. Whether the President can adopt such requirements without participation by Congress is another matter.
Even for the election of the president and vice president, Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution provides authority to the States to determine their own election rules. It’s a nuanced position, to be sure, based on the fact that the States are electing ‘electors’ in the Electoral College, not the president and vice president directly.
Trump’s alleged ‘executive order’ (which I have not seen) is probably intended to stimulate SCOTUS action. In the final analysis, I expect the only way to change current jurisprudence is through a constitutional amendment.
Time to get some more popcorn.
The EO cites a list of currently unenforced federal laws, and mandates that they now be enforced. Sorry if you don’t want to update your voter rolls (cough cough, VT & ME), it’s the federal law already. As is having an Election DAY. The EO is not arbitrary or capricious, or fiat.
Postscript: Of course, for we Vermonters, short of amending the U.S. Constitution, we can elect legislators and other State officials who can change our local voting rules to include, for example, voter ID.
While I didn’t, and do not expect ever to, vote for Secretary of State Sarah Copeland-Hanzas, I do still hold out hope that even the most irrational Vermonters will one day figure out that voter ID is an important feature that can safeguard both sides of the political aisle.
On the other hand, I’m not going to hold my breath waiting either.
I am 74 and I took Civics too! The Federal Government has its hands in too many things it has no business in. Our Founding Fathers never wanted a Federal Government like we have. They were totally against career politicians. The only thing the Federal Government was supposed to do was protect us from enemies both Foreign and Domestic. They gave us the 2nd Amendment to protect us from tyranny by our Federal government! All power was to be in the hands of the individual States! If we the residents of the State of Vermont want Voter ID our State can vote to require it! This has nothing to do with Trump! This is about the State of Vermont!
As a citizen of the US, I have never been in another country where I was allowed to vote. My first husband was Papua New Guinean and, because of our marriage, I was able to obtain legal residency which allowed me many privileges, but NOT to vote. The right to vote was a bestowal of citizenship!
That the requirement to show citizenship in order to vote in a federal election “would fundamentally degrade the integrity of American elections” is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard our Secretary of State say! How would limiting American elections to Americans have a negative impact on our elections? But all rationality and common sense aside, this is a Democratic Party talking point, and they will repeat it ad finitem.
Bravo Tom !
So what else would you expect, this is how thesy stay in power, let every Tom, Dick and Harry vote.
Voting is a privilege alloted to ” US Citizens “, if you want to vote become a US citizen, then proving it should make you proud, so with no formal indentification showing statehood or US citizenship………well, you see what we have!!
So those stating all the nonsense about showing an ID is unconstitional, well now you know why the state & nation is in trouble and if every election is on the ” up & up ” what’s the problem Secretary Sarah Copeland-Hanzas, we know why it’s not.
Ask yourself are you pleased at direction of the state and it finanical burden, that’s your burden, and shouldn’t we ” taxpayers” see a balanced budget ??
Wake up people.
We definitely need voter ID requirement in every state. This in no way disenfranchises voters or intimidates election workers. It merely assures
that all voters have the right to vote. Eliminates cheating!
“We need to call this state attorney general out for what she is; a liar who places her party above the people.” There, I fixed her quote.
I hope President Trumps next EO is to outlaw mail-in ballot voting for federal elections like it currently is in Vermont and California and return that process like it used to be.
On November 3, 2016 Ami Horowitz did a short video expose on how how white liberals really view black voters. It is priceless. It reveals exactly how Copeland Hanzas thinks about minority voters. Hanzas and her cohort are no different than members of the Klan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JGmKHrWKMQ
Wonderful clip, does expose who is ignorant, or perhaps more specifically taking in too much propaganda and believing it as the whole truth. Love this clip.
Great video. Made me think of what would happen if Malcolm X could address a SRO crowd at the Flynn Theater.
Yep. It’s the same ignorance I hear almost every day from Vermont Public and NPR commentators. And we’re paying them to spread this ignorance.
So should a merchant dealing in alcohol, firearms, cannabis, etc. not card customers of questionable age, character, or mental condition ? Why should the status of a potential voter not be considered in the same way ? If you can look me in the eye, and tell me that there are absolutely not illegals, felons, mentally incompetent, or those with otherwise disqualifying conditions voting, I have no problem looking you in the eye, and telling you you’re either ignorant, stupid, or a liar . How can anybody claim that it is any less important to verify one’s status as qualified, when they are talking about voting ? That would just pose the question, why do we require I.D. for anything ?
Democrats use our tax money to bring illegals here and keep them here with government programs, using again, tax payer money. No, citizens don’t qualify for these handouts. Why is it that our SOS is against citizen voting?
“…an effort to disenfranchise voters, (slanderously wrong) intimidate elections workers, (slanderously wrong, again) and defund the functioning of our democracy (???, more gas lighting).” Her (and our) concern however, ought to be, how did we trigger then empower the federal government into screwing around with what ought to be state prerogatives?
After reading these comments I think the solution is to out this person out of office with a warning that the next SOS will be treated the same. I ask the SOS, what can she do i America without a legal ID? She is just another rubber stamp for her party.
VOTER ID
PAPER BALLOTS
ONE DAY VOTING
NO MAIL IN VOTING
MANDATORY CLEANING OF VOTER ROLLS
STOP THE STEAL – MAKE VOTING HONEST AGAIN
When government officials blat about transperancy and threats to their democracy, they show their true intent by filing lawsuits against every single proposal that Americans are in favor of with vim and vigor. They refuse to open the books to forensic audits. In fact, they don’t publically disclose any audit of any set of books in this State. It should be clear they have nothing of substance and everything to hide.
I would like to know why the Secretary of State believes voters should be afforded special privileges to not show ID compared to the rest of the citizenry who must show ID to drive a car, buy a car, buy alcohol, buy cigarettes, apply for social security, apply for Medicaid, receive welfare, etc etc etc. Is there some sort of special designation that these voters and citizens do, that exempts them from the requirements of the rest of us to go about and live our daily lives?
Wife and I moved out of Vt to Georgia 3 years ago. I became a poll worker for the 2022 election- the first one that required voter ID. We had a record turnout that year and another record turnout in 2024. We saw voters of all ethnic and economic backgrounds voting with no issues or complaints about needing to show IDs. In fact, people that expressed an opinion were all in favor of showing an ID.
…what Joe Biden called “Jim Crow on steroids”…resulted in a greater turnout of Black voters in the last 2 elections in Georgia…
No accountability eh?
Which ideology prefers no oversight, things done in the dark, and treating plebs like mushrooms?
Oh.
Right.
The communists.
Along with that…this robot has no soul, no self-awareness, and certainly should be tested for being human at all…is there a test for that yet?
Such smug overreach.
It was ALL to create feasibly corrupt elections…so the commies could coup state by state…until they have enough weight and leverage to take more and more and more for themselves…that would be 9 or 10 under our Golden Dome that making the agenda and forcing or coercing compliance with same… and make that nest of their fireproof.
DOGE IS COMING FOR YOU… you keep making yourselves targets…don’t you notice the increasing creep of focus of attention you are getting from over your head?
Clean sweep, I say.
MAGA!
This could be the end of the Demorats control of our Legislature and offices.
Yup…let us so hope.
To bring back integrity in government, Vermonters must oust Copeland-Hanzas. I remember when she was applauding the COVID-19 pandemic because it was helping “reduce global warming.” She is unfit for office of any kind, and proving it here yet again!