For the past forty years, every major party nominee for president has voluntarily disclosed his or her tax returns – until the 2016 election. There is no law requiring candidates to disclose their tax returns, but every single nominee other than Donald Trump has followed this customary norm so that voters can have a clear understanding of the financial interests and possible entanglements of the men and women seeking our nation’s highest office.
The need to address presidential tax transparency has never been more clear. We can no longer count on tradition to ensure even basic transparency such as this. It is clear that there is overwhelming support for presidential tax transparency. In January of 2017, an ABC/ Washington Post poll found that 74 percent of Americans believe that presidential candidates should release their tax returns.
Bills have been introduced into both the Vermont House and Senate that would require presidential candidates to release their previous five years of tax returns in order to appear on the Vermont ballot. VPIRG supports these bills because Vermonters deserve basic transparency from our elected officials – especially those who seek our nation’s highest office.
Sign our petition telling Vermont lawmakers to require presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns before appearing on the Vermont ballot.
Latest Elections & Government Reform News
An Historic Election
What an Election Week. More Vermonters, and more Americans, voted in these elections than ever before. Despite all the barriers – voter suppression, nonsensical voting laws, and the pandemic – the people have done our job to make our voices heard. And the people have chosen Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. We ...
Read MoreWe Want to Hear Your Thoughts on Vote-by-Mail
As we collectively catch our breath (and breathe a sigh of relief!) following the election, we have a lot to be proud of as Vermonters. More than 365,000 Vermonters participated in the 2020 Vermont general election, blowing away the previous record by more than 40,000 votes. This record-breaking turnout is due to a variety of factors – ...
Read MoreGray, Pearce Commit to Supporting Popular Vote Winners
Two of the major party candidates running for Vermont’s top offices (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Treasurer) have pledged to support the person who wins the most votes in their race. Incumbent State Treasurer Beth Pearce (D) has signed the pledge, as has Democrat Molly Gray, who is running for the open seat for lieutenant governor. The ...
Read MoreLower Barriers to Voting Means Higher Youth Voter Participation
Voter turnout is notoriously low among young people. However, the dominant narrative that young folks don’t vote because we are simply apathetic is largely inaccurate. Often, the primary barriers preventing young voters from voting are structural, not personal. For example, voters age 18-34 face higher levels of voting challenges than all other age groups with barriers such as ...
Read MoreVPIRG calls on candidates to respect the results of the election
In the closing days of the 2020 election, the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) is calling on all of the candidates for Vermont’s top three offices to agree to support the person who wins the most votes in their race. Under Vermont’s Constitution, if no candidate for Governor, Lieutenant Governor or Treasurer wins a majority ...
Read MoreJoin us for a forum on voter rights and voter suppression
We’re excited to be co-presenting a panel discussion about voter rights and voter suppression on Wednesday, October 21st at 7:00 p.m., alongside Next Stage Arts Project, The Vermont League of Women Voters, Vermont ACLU, the Jonathan Daniels Center for Social Responsibility, and Disability Rights Vermont. The event will be feature panelists working in the field of voter rights and ...
Read MoreEvery Vote Must be Counted
Everyone counts. Every vote counts. And every vote must be counted. These are values we all hold, and they are not negotiable. By now, we’re sure you’ve heard about President Trump refusing to say whether he’ll accept the results of the election. It’s clear from his incessant lies about the safety and effectiveness of voting by ...
Read MoreOctober 23 is Vermont Early Ballot Return Day!
To ensure your voice is heard in this critical election, commit to returning your ballot on or before October 23rd. RSVP today at https://www.facebook.com/events/1002555240260780/ Burlington residents are invited to join us outside Burlington City Hall on Friday, October 23rd between 2:00 – 5:00 PM to return their ballots at the designated ballot return drop box. We’ll have ...
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