Vermont S 98: An act relating to miscellaneous changes to election law

Bill Text

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S.98 1
Introduced by Senator Vyhovsky 2
Referred to Committee on 3
Date: 4
Subject: Elections; qualification and registration of voters; automatic voter 5
registration; preregistration for young voters; campaign finance; 6
campaign finance reports and disclosures; delinquent filing; 7
Democracy Certificate Program; employer-provided time off for 8
statewide election days 9
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to automatically 10
register a person to vote when the person applies for participation in Reach 11
Ahead services and require State agencies to report to the General Assembly 12
concerning opportunities to expand automatic voter registration through the 13
application and registration forms used by those State agencies. This bill also 14
proposes to allow any individual 16 years of age or older to preregister to vote 15
for an election, provided that the individual will be 18 years of age or older on 16
or before the day of the election. This bill also proposes to amend the 17
threshold contribution and expenditure amounts that trigger campaign finance 18
reporting under 17 V.S.A. § 2964 and establish penalties for delinquent filing 19
of campaign finance reports and disclosures. This bill also proposes to 20
establish the Democracy Certificate Program to replace the current option of 21

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public financing for campaigns. This bill also proposes to require employers to 1
provide four hours of protected leave time to allow employees to vote on 2
statewide election days. 3
An act relating to miscellaneous changes to election law 4
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 5
* * * Automatic Voter Registration * * * 6
Sec. 1. 17 V.S.A. § 2144a is amended to read: 7
§ 2144a. REGISTRATION 8
A person who desires to register to vote may apply in any of the following 9
ways: 10
(1) Simultaneously with his or her the person’s application for, or 11
renewal of,: 12
(A) a motor vehicle driver’s license or nondriver identification 13
card as provided in section 2145a of this chapter; or 14
(B) any services available pursuant to 33 V.S.A. chapter 12. 15
* * * 16
Sec. 2. 33 V.S.A. § 1205 is amended to read: 17
§ 1205. REQUIRED SERVICES TO PARTICIPATING FAMILIES 18
* * * 19

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(c) The Commissioner shall ensure that the applications and forms used by 1
the Department for Reach Ahead services, including for the Supplemental 2
Nutrition Assistance Program, automatically register the applicant to vote 3
pursuant to 17 V.S.A. § 2144a. The voter registration provision on any 4
application or form used by the Department for these services shall offer the 5
applicant the option to opt out of registering to vote. 6
Sec. 3. EXECUTIVE BRANCH AGENCIES; REPORT ON VOTER 7
REGISTRATION OPPORTUNITIES 8
(a) On or before November 15, 2025, the following departments and 9
agencies shall submit a written report to the House Committee on Government 10
Operations and Military Affairs and the Senate Committee on Government 11
Operations that lists and describes any of the department’s or agency’s 12
application forms that may be updated to include automatic voter registration: 13
(1) Agency of Human Services; 14
(2) Agency of Education; 15
(3) Department of Labor; 16
(4) Agency of Commerce and Community Development; 17
(5) Department for Children and Families; and 18
(6) Department of Health. 19
(b) Each department and agency shall include in its report a description of 20
how the department’s or agency’s application or registration systems may be 21

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integrated with the State’s voter registration system. The report shall also 1
include a proposed timeline for implementing voter registration into the 2
systems. 3
* * * Preregistration for Young Voters * * * 4
Sec. 4. 17 V.S.A. § 2121 is amended to read: 5
§ 2121. ELIGIBILITY OF VOTERS 6
(a) Any person may register to vote in the town of his or her the person’s 7
residence in any election held in a political subdivision of this State in which 8
he or she the person resides who, on election day: 9
(1) is a citizen of the United States; 10
(2) is a resident of the State of Vermont; 11
(3) has taken the voter’s oath; and 12
(4) is 18 years of age or more. 13
(b) Any person meeting the requirements of subdivisions (a)(1)–(3) of this 14
section who will be 18 years of age on or before the date of a general election 15
may register and vote in the primary election immediately preceding that 16
general election. 17
(c) Any person meeting the requirements of subdivisions (a)(1)–(3) of this 18
section who is 16 years of age may register to vote in Vermont, but shall not 19
vote in any election in the State unless the person is 18 years of age or under 20
qualifies under subsection (b) of this section. 21

B