It seems that summer just started, yet early voting has already started for the August 13 statewide primary! Ballots have arrived at our office. Citizens are welcome to register to vote and/or to request an absentee ballot. To do so, you can call or visit our office. Or you can follow the instructions on My Voter Page at https://mvp.vermont.gov.
If you plan to visit our office this summer, we want to make sure you know about a new state law. S. 209 states “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.”
This law applies everywhere in Vermont. It requires signs to be posted at the entrances to polling places, so you will see signs when you come to our office and/or if you vote in person. The law also addresses specific exceptions, including for law enforcement.
It also doesn’t apply to motor vehicles, so people may safely store their firearms in their vehicle as long as they aren’t parked in a location where firearms are otherwise prohibited (such as at a school).
While this law came out of Montpelier and we may or may not agree with specific provisions, I would like to think we can all agree on one thing: democracy works best when we all participate. Please be sure to vote this summer, either in-person or through an absentee ballot. Please encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to vote.
And please consider volunteering as a poll worker in August and/or November (if interested, contact me!). Vermont ranked #1 in the nation in the Elections Performance Index in both 2016 and 2020. With your help, we can make 2024’s elections just as successful.
~ Benson Town Clerk