Voting in
Vermont

Upcoming Election Dates & Deadlines

Upcoming Election: Primary Election

Election Day: November 5, 2024

Registration Deadline: November 5, 2024

Vote By Mail: yes

Vote By Mail Deadline: November 5, 2024

Early Voting: October 21 - 4, 2024

How to vote in Vermont

Vermont's election schedule

Vermont's Election Overview

In Vermont, you can register to vote online, by mail, or in person. Voting can be done in person or by mail. No ID is needed for mail voting.

Important Voting Links for Vermont

How to vote in Vermont

Absentee Ballot Process

Absentee voting is available and no excuse is required. The last day to request an absentee ballot is 1 day before the election. You can return your absentee ballot request form through mail, in person at your local elections office, or online. Voted ballots must be received by Election Day in order to be counted. You can request an absentee ballot through phone, fax, email, mail, in person or online. All requests must be submitted by 5pm or the close of the Town Clerk’s office on the day before the election. NOTE: Begining with the November 8th General Election, Vermont will mail ballots to all registered voters in the weeks leading up to the election. Anyone planning to vote early or by mail in the Aug. 9 primary must request a ballot. There are several ways for you to vote absentee by mail. Vote at Home on Election Day. If you are sick or disabled a ballot can be delivered to your home on election day. You must request an absentee ballot before 5pm on the day before the election. On election day, two justices of the peace will deliver a ballot to you and then will bring the ballot back to the polling place so it can be counted. Vote by Mail. Any voter can request that the town clerk mail them an early voter absentee ballot. Once voted, you can return the ballot to the clerk in the envelope included with the ballot. The clerk must receive the ballot by the close of the polls on Election Day to be counted. You can request a ballot at any time before an election and clerks will mail absentee ballots within the 45 days before the election. Hand Delivered Ballots. A voter may pick up a ballot at the town clerk’s office at any time beginning 45 days before the general or primary election. You can deliver the voted ballot in a sealed envelope to the clerk on or before election day. The ballot can be returned to the clerk or delivered to the polling place by the voter or any person the voter authorizes to return the ballot for them. However, you can only pick up your own ballot from the clerks office. Those who requested an absentee ballot but end up voting in person: Voters must surrender their absentee ballots before receiving a regular ballot, or sign an affidavit that they have not already voted. Do not mail a ballot and vote in person. For specifics, you can find your local county clerk contact info here.

Drop Boxes

You can only use the dropbox of the city or town you vote from. A spreadsheet listing each town, whether it has a dropbox, and dropbox locations is downloadable at the Secretary of State site. You can also drop off your ballot at your assigned polling location on election day.

Early Voting

Early voting is also available with no excuse required. You may vote at your town clerk’s office in person during the hours the office is open to the public, within 45 days before a primary or general election or 20 days before a municipal election. Due to the pandemic, Some Vermont town offices are closed to the public or have limited hours to protect health and safety, and most have a secure ballot drop box available whether or not the office is open. Please contact your town clerk.

ID Needed for Voter Registration

If you are registering for the first time by mail or online, you must include a photocopy of an acceptable form of ID. These include a:

Valid photo ID (driver’s license or passport)
Copy of a current utility bill
Copy of a current bank statement
Copy of another government document

You must also include your driver’s license number or the last four digits of your Social Security Number on the application in order for it to be approved. If you are registering for the first time in Vermont you must take the Voter’s Oath. The Vermont voter registration form contains the voter’s oath that must be taken.

Overseas and Military Voting

You are a Military or Overseas voter if you are in uniformed services, living overseas OR a spouse or dependent of a uniformed services voter. To get registered and vote, you can utilize Overseas Vote Foundation. If you have additional questions about elections and voting overseas you can use our state specific elections official directory or contact the Overseas Vote Foundation.

Primary Election Process

Vermont is an “open primary” state. You can choose the party’s ballot you wish to vote. This decision does not register you with that party and it is a private decision. In a primary election if candidates tie there will be a primary runoff election scheduled for a few weeks after the primary election date. The runoff election will have the top two candidates with the most votes to ensure that one of them receives the majority of the voters. If you have any questions about your state’s primary election, please contact your local election officials.

Provisions for Voters with Disabilities

Voters with disabilities are able to vote, at their polling locations, using accessible voting technology. Voters will access a tablet-based system that marks your selection onto the same paper ballot used by all voters at the polls. This system also contains an online-based ballot marking system that allows voters with disabilities to vote privately and independently from home during the early voting period. If you need help with voting, you can:

Contact your Town Clerk to ask for accomodations
Bring a person of your choice with you into the voting booth (not your employer or union representative)
Ask an election official for help with marking your ballot
Ask an election official to bring a ballot to your car
Bring a magnifying glass or other devices to help you use the ballot
Bring a list of candidates into the voting book with you
Ask for another ballot (maximum of 3) if you make a mistake
Use the Omniballot tablet accessible voting system at the polls.

For more information contact your Secretary of State.

Voting Machines

The voting systems used in Vermont are optical scan, paper ballots and vote by phone. Optical Scan: With this system, you will receive a card or sheet of paper, which you take over to a private table or booth. The card has the names of the various candidates and ballot measures printed on it. With a pen or pencil you fill in a little box or circle or the space between two arrows. When you are finished filling out all the cards, you may bring the cards over to a ballot box, where poll workers will show you how to put the cards in the box. Or in some places, you may feed the completed cards or papers into a computer device that checks your card or paper right there at the polling place to make sure you have voted the way you want to and counts the votes. Paper Ballots: Paper ballots are one of the oldest ways of voting in America. They are still used in a few places on Election Day. When you come to the polling place, you will get a paper ballot from the poll worker. You take it to the voting booth, and use a pen or pencil to mark a box next to your candidate and issue choices. You then drop the marked ballot into a sealed ballot box. Omniballot Tablet Accessible Voting System: Voters with disabilities are able to vote, at their polling locations, using accessible voting technology. Voters will access a tablet-based system that marks your selection onto the same paper ballot used by all voters at the polls. This system also contains an online-based ballot marking system that allows voters with disabilities to vote privately and independently from home during the early voting period.