On Friday, Governor Phil Scott allowed S.348 to become law without his signature. This law grants full authority to the Secretary of State to mail all registered voters a ballot for this year’s General Election in November. This law finally makes it possible for Vermont to move forward with a…
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The team here at VPIRG is excited to send a massive “THANK YOU” to the 115 members of the Vermont House of Representatives who took a stand today to ensure that no Vermonter has to choose between their safety and their right to vote this year. Late this afternoon, the…
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The Vermont Senate voted 21-7 today in favor of S.348, granting full authority to the Secretary of State to determine whether to mail all registered voters a ballot for this year’s General Election in November. This legislation will make it possible to move forward with a universal vote-by-mail system in…
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No voter in Vermont should have to choose between staying safe and exercising their right to vote this year. But there is no question that during this pandemic, in-person voting can be dangerous for voters and poll workers alike. This is especially true for the November general election, when voter…
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Last week VPIRG and a coalition of allies sent the following letter to Governor Phil Scott and Secretary of State Jim Condos calling on them to immediately institute a vote-by-mail system in Vermont. The letter was accompanied by a petition signed by just over 1,180 Vermonters in support of this…
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No one should have to choose between staying safe and exercising their right to vote. But we’re heading toward an election in the middle of a pandemic. Early voting for Vermont’s August primary begins in late June. And there is no way of knowing what the COVID-19 threat will be…
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The Vermont Senate voted today to adopt a number of temporary emergency reforms to facilitate the functions of government and democracy during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include changes to Vermont’s open meetings law and to elections, which could include a vote by mail process. The legislation (H.681) was negotiated during…
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The state’s leading government reform group is calling on legislators to establish a Code of Ethics in state law and make it enforceable by an independent Ethics Commission. Earlier this year, the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) criticized the lack of authority given the current Ethics Commission, and the…
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Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of a major new initiative. This month we are forming VPIRG Votes – a political campaign arm for our organization. Later this year, for the first time ever, we plan to support public interest champions running for the Vermont State House, Senate and…
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Just yesterday, in a big win for Vermont’s democracy, the state Senate officially voted to prohibit corporations from making direct contributions to political candidates in the state. This bill, S.47, introduced by Senators Pearson and Pollina, will be key to getting big money out of our political system – and…
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