Elections in Vermont
Encyclopedia
Elections in Vermont
are authorized under Chapter II of the Vermont State Constitution, articles 43-49, which establishes elections for the state level officers, cabinet, and legislature. Articles 50-53 establish the election of county-level officers.
Elections are regulated under state statute, Title 17. The office of the Vermont Secretary of State has an Elections Division that oversees the execution of elections under state law.
of Vermont
holds its state general election
s on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November (better known as Election Day
) in even-numbered years. As a result of this, general elections in Vermont systematically coincide with the biennial elections for the United States House of Representatives
.
During general elections in Vermont, elections are held for the positions of Governor
, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer
, Secretary of State
, Auditor of Accounts
, Attorney General
, state Senator
, state Representative
, State's Attorney
, Sheriff
, and High Bailiff
, County Clerk, and Probate Judge. Officials elected to these offices are elected for a term of two years.
Vermont's Governor is elected at large. State Senators, and state Representatives are elected by district; County-level officers are elected by county.
Vermont has 150 seats in its House of Representatives, and 30 seats in its Senate.
An apparent election loser, behind by 2% or less of the total votes cast, may request a recount.
The town clerks tally the ballots and report totals to the Vermont Secretary of State and the County Clerk. County clerks would be involved in official recounts under the jurisdiction of the Superior Court.
In 1955, voters elected Consuelo N. Bailey
Lieutenant-Governor, the first woman to be elected to that position in the country.
. It was only one of two states to vote for William Howard Taft
in 1912, and Vermont and Maine
were the only states to vote against Franklin D. Roosevelt
in all four of his successful presidential campaigns.
Prior to 1915, Vermont held its general election in September. Because it was one of the earliest elections in the nation, it was carefully followed. National politicians campaigned in the state in the summer to influence the turnout, including Ulysses S. Grant
, William McKinley
and Theodore Roosevelt
. While the vote was assured for the Republican party at that time, the size of victory was thought by some, before polls, to predict how the national elections might go.
Republicans dominated Vermont politics from the party's founding in 1854 until the mid-1970s. From 1856 to 1988, Vermont voted Republican in every presidential election with only one exception in 1964. Vermont consecutively had Republican governors for over a century until Democrat Phillip Hoff was elected in 1962. Prior to the 1960s, rural interests dominated the legislature. As a result, cities, particularly the older sections of Burlington and Winooski, were neglected and fell into decay. People began to move out to newer suburbs.
In the early 1960s many progressive
Vermont Republicans and newcomers to the state helped bolster the state's small Democratic Party. Until 1992, Vermont had supported a Democrat for president only once since the party's founding—in Lyndon B. Johnson
's 1964 landslide victory against Barry Goldwater
.
In 1980, Vermont gave third party candidate John B. Anderson
14.9% of its vote, thereby tipping the state to Republican Ronald Reagan
.
In 1992, it supported Democrat Bill Clinton
for president and has voted for Democrats in every presidential election since.
In 1999, five moderate Democratic legislators, called "Blue Dogs", joined with Republicans to pass Democratic but fiscally conservative governor Howard Dean's plans for an income tax cut.
Vermont gave John Kerry his fourth-largest margin of victory in 2004, behind the District of Columbia, Massachusetts
, and Rhode Island
. He won the state's popular vote by 20 percentage points over incumbent George W. Bush
, taking 58.9% of the vote. Essex County
in the state's northeastern section was the only county to vote for Bush. Vermont still remains the only state that President Bush has not visited.
On the other hand, Republican Governor Douglas won all counties but Windham in the 2006 election. Vermonters have been ticket-splitters.
Vermont's 2006 state general election was held on November 7, 2006. The state's last state primary election was held on September 12, 2006.
Vermont's 2008 state general election was held on November 4, 2008 and coincided with the 2008 US Presidential Elections
. The state's primary election was held on September 9, 2008.
In 2008, the Democrats, in charge of the House, appointed Richard Westman, a Republican, to chair the Transportation Committee. When he resigned in 2009 to accept a post elsewhere, the leadership appointed another Republican, Patrick M. Brennan
to that chair.
In 2008, an Associated Press
poll found that Vermonters self-described themselves as "liberal" (32%) more often than any other state in the union, behind only the District of Columbia. In 2009, the state had a Cook Partisan Voting Index
of D+13, tying with Hawaii to be the most Democratic state in the country, exceeded only by the District of Columbia.
In January 2010 nine Vermonters announced they were planning to run for several state offices: governor, lieutenant governor and seven seats in the state Senate on a Vermont secession platform. The candidates did not organize a formal political party organization but are running as individuals under the “Vermont Independence Party” label.
is also legal. As a result, voters often have extensive choices in general elections.
The Vermont Progressive Party
is a liberal left wing political party which has held a handful of seats in the Vermont legislature for two decades and has run candidates for numerous state and local elections. In 2009, they had five members in the Vermont House of Representatives
and one member in the Vermont Senate
. Progressive Bob Kiss
is mayor of the largest city, Burlington
. It has had official recognition as a political party
by the state government since 1999.
The Liberty Union Party
is a democratic socialist
minor party which holds a few local offices.
The state's legislature is dominated by Democrats. The governorship in Vermont has alternated between Democrats and Republicans since 1961. The current governor is a Democrat.
Most notable, perhaps, is Democrat Howard Dean
, Governor from 1991 to 2003, who ran for the 2004 Democratic Presidential Nomination
and went on to chair the Democratic National Committee
.
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
are authorized under Chapter II of the Vermont State Constitution, articles 43-49, which establishes elections for the state level officers, cabinet, and legislature. Articles 50-53 establish the election of county-level officers.
Elections are regulated under state statute, Title 17. The office of the Vermont Secretary of State has an Elections Division that oversees the execution of elections under state law.
Administration
The U.S. stateU.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
holds its state general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
s on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November (better known as Election Day
Election Day (United States)
Election Day in the United States is the day set by law for the general elections of public officials. It occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The earliest possible date is November 2 and the latest possible date is November 8...
) in even-numbered years. As a result of this, general elections in Vermont systematically coincide with the biennial elections for the United States House of Representatives
Elections in the United States
The United States has a federal government, with elected officials at the federal , state and local levels. On a national level, the head of state, the President, is elected indirectly by the people, through an Electoral College. In modern times, the electors virtually always vote with the popular...
.
During general elections in Vermont, elections are held for the positions of Governor
Governor of Vermont
The Governor of Vermont is the governor of the U.S. state of Vermont. The governor is elected in even numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years; Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every two years, instead of every four...
, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer
State Treasurer
In the state governments of the United States, 49 of the 50 states have the executive position of treasurer. Texas abolished the position of Texas State Treasurer in 1996....
, Secretary of State
Secretary of State of Vermont
The Office of the Secretary of State of Vermont is located at 128 State Street.The Secretary of State of Vermont is one of five cabinet-level constitutional officers in the U.S. state of Vermont which are elected every two years. The Office of the Secretary of State is located at 128 State St. in...
, Auditor of Accounts
Vermont Auditor of Accounts
The Vermont State Auditor of Accounts is one of five constitutional officers in Vermont, elected statewide every two years. The Office provides an independent and objective assessment of Vermont's governmental operations....
, Attorney General
Vermont Attorney General
The Vermont Attorney General is one of five cabinet-level constitutional officers in the U.S. state of Vermont which are elected every two years. It was created by an act of the Vermont General Assembly in 1790, repealed in 1797, and revived in 1904. The office began as a one-person operation...
, state Senator
Vermont Senate
The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The Senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-member districts, three three-member districts, and one...
, state Representative
Vermont House of Representatives
The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members. Vermont legislative districting divides representing districts into 66 single-member districts and 42 two-member...
, State's Attorney
State's Attorney
In the United States, the State's Attorney is, most commonly, an elected official who represents the State in criminal prosecutions and is often the chief law enforcement officer of their respective county, circuit...
, Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
, and High Bailiff
High Bailiff
In the Isle of Man the High Bailiff is the head stipendiary magistrate.In Vermont, a high bailiff is a county officer.-Isle of Man:The current High Bailiff is His Worship John Needham, who took office on 30 January 2010 on the retirement of Mr Michael Moyle. Mr Needham was previously Clerk to the...
, County Clerk, and Probate Judge. Officials elected to these offices are elected for a term of two years.
Vermont's Governor is elected at large. State Senators, and state Representatives are elected by district; County-level officers are elected by county.
Vermont has 150 seats in its House of Representatives, and 30 seats in its Senate.
An apparent election loser, behind by 2% or less of the total votes cast, may request a recount.
The town clerks tally the ballots and report totals to the Vermont Secretary of State and the County Clerk. County clerks would be involved in official recounts under the jurisdiction of the Superior Court.
Criteria for election
A gubernatorial candidate must achieve 50% of the popular vote in order to be elected. Failing that, there is no runoff. Instead, the legislature decides. This has happened twenty times in Vermont history. Twice in the 18th century, fourteen times in the 19th century, three times in the 20th century, and once in the 21st century.Primaries
Both the Vermont Secretary of State and the chairperson of the state committee of each major party certifies primary elections under Vermont Statutes, Title 17, Chapter 51, article 2592.History
Electorally, Republicans predominated for most of the state's history until the 1960s, even when the rest of the country was voting Democratic. Democrats have predominated at the polls since the 1970s even when most of the country was voting Republican.In 1955, voters elected Consuelo N. Bailey
Consuelo N. Bailey
Consuelo Northrop Bailey was an American lawyer and elected official.Bailey was elected to the Vermont Senate in 1930, and in 1931 became the first woman to be admitted to practice before the Vermont Supreme Court....
Lieutenant-Governor, the first woman to be elected to that position in the country.
Voting patterns
It has sometimes voted contrarian in national elections. In 1832, Vermont was the only state voting for a presidential candidate from the Anti-Masonic PartyAnti-Masonic Party
The Anti-Masonic Party was the first "third party" in the United States. It strongly opposed Freemasonry and was founded as a single-issue party aspiring to become a major party....
. It was only one of two states to vote for William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
in 1912, and Vermont and Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
were the only states to vote against Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
in all four of his successful presidential campaigns.
Prior to 1915, Vermont held its general election in September. Because it was one of the earliest elections in the nation, it was carefully followed. National politicians campaigned in the state in the summer to influence the turnout, including Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
, William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
and Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
. While the vote was assured for the Republican party at that time, the size of victory was thought by some, before polls, to predict how the national elections might go.
Republicans dominated Vermont politics from the party's founding in 1854 until the mid-1970s. From 1856 to 1988, Vermont voted Republican in every presidential election with only one exception in 1964. Vermont consecutively had Republican governors for over a century until Democrat Phillip Hoff was elected in 1962. Prior to the 1960s, rural interests dominated the legislature. As a result, cities, particularly the older sections of Burlington and Winooski, were neglected and fell into decay. People began to move out to newer suburbs.
In the early 1960s many progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
Vermont Republicans and newcomers to the state helped bolster the state's small Democratic Party. Until 1992, Vermont had supported a Democrat for president only once since the party's founding—in Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
's 1964 landslide victory against Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
.
Modern times
In the meantime, many people had moved in from out of state. Much of this immigration included the arrival of more liberal political influences of the urban areas of New York and New England in Vermont.In 1980, Vermont gave third party candidate John B. Anderson
John B. Anderson
John Bayard Anderson is a former United States Congressman and Presidential candidate from Illinois. He was a U.S. Representative from the 16th Congressional District of Illinois for ten terms from 1961 through 1981 and an Independent candidate in the 1980 presidential election. He was previously...
14.9% of its vote, thereby tipping the state to Republican Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
.
In 1992, it supported Democrat Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
for president and has voted for Democrats in every presidential election since.
In 1999, five moderate Democratic legislators, called "Blue Dogs", joined with Republicans to pass Democratic but fiscally conservative governor Howard Dean's plans for an income tax cut.
Vermont gave John Kerry his fourth-largest margin of victory in 2004, behind the District of Columbia, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. He won the state's popular vote by 20 percentage points over incumbent George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, taking 58.9% of the vote. Essex County
Essex County, Vermont
Essex County is the county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Vermont. As of 2010, the population was 6,306, making it the least-populous county in both Vermont and New England...
in the state's northeastern section was the only county to vote for Bush. Vermont still remains the only state that President Bush has not visited.
On the other hand, Republican Governor Douglas won all counties but Windham in the 2006 election. Vermonters have been ticket-splitters.
Vermont's 2006 state general election was held on November 7, 2006. The state's last state primary election was held on September 12, 2006.
Vermont's 2008 state general election was held on November 4, 2008 and coincided with the 2008 US Presidential Elections
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. The state's primary election was held on September 9, 2008.
In 2008, the Democrats, in charge of the House, appointed Richard Westman, a Republican, to chair the Transportation Committee. When he resigned in 2009 to accept a post elsewhere, the leadership appointed another Republican, Patrick M. Brennan
Patrick M. Brennan
Patrick M. Brennan is a Republican politician who was elected and currently serves in the Vermont House of Representatives. He represents the Chittenden-7-2 Representative District.-References:...
to that chair.
In 2008, an Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
poll found that Vermonters self-described themselves as "liberal" (32%) more often than any other state in the union, behind only the District of Columbia. In 2009, the state had a Cook Partisan Voting Index
Cook Partisan Voting Index
The Cook Partisan Voting Index , sometimes referred to as simply the Partisan Voting Index , is a measurement of how strongly an American congressional district or state leans toward one political party compared to the nation as a whole...
of D+13, tying with Hawaii to be the most Democratic state in the country, exceeded only by the District of Columbia.
In January 2010 nine Vermonters announced they were planning to run for several state offices: governor, lieutenant governor and seven seats in the state Senate on a Vermont secession platform. The candidates did not organize a formal political party organization but are running as individuals under the “Vermont Independence Party” label.
Political parties
Minor parties flourish. Rules which eliminate smaller parties from the ballot in most states do not exist in Vermont, where electoral fusionElectoral fusion
Electoral fusion is an arrangement where two or more political parties on a ballot list the same candidate, pooling the votes for that candidate...
is also legal. As a result, voters often have extensive choices in general elections.
The Vermont Progressive Party
Vermont Progressive Party
The Vermont Progressive Party is an American political party. It was founded in 1999 and is active only in the U.S. state of Vermont. In terms of the dominant two parties in the United States, it enjoys support from "traditional liberal" Democrats and working class Republicans. The party is...
is a liberal left wing political party which has held a handful of seats in the Vermont legislature for two decades and has run candidates for numerous state and local elections. In 2009, they had five members in the Vermont House of Representatives
Vermont House of Representatives
The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members. Vermont legislative districting divides representing districts into 66 single-member districts and 42 two-member...
and one member in the Vermont Senate
Vermont Senate
The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The Senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-member districts, three three-member districts, and one...
. Progressive Bob Kiss
Bob Kiss
Bob Kiss is a Vermont politician and Mayor of Burlington, Vermont. Kiss was a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from January 2001 until he stepped down to assume office as mayor of Burlington, following his election to that office on March 7, 2006...
is mayor of the largest city, Burlington
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
. It has had official recognition as a political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
by the state government since 1999.
The Liberty Union Party
Liberty Union Party
The Liberty Union Party of Vermont, founded in 1970 by former Congressman William H. Meyer, Peter Diamondstone and others, originated in the anti-war and People's Party movements of the late 1960s and defines itself as a nonviolent socialist party.-History:...
is a democratic socialist
Democratic socialism
Democratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation...
minor party which holds a few local offices.
The state's legislature is dominated by Democrats. The governorship in Vermont has alternated between Democrats and Republicans since 1961. The current governor is a Democrat.
Most notable, perhaps, is Democrat Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
, Governor from 1991 to 2003, who ran for the 2004 Democratic Presidential Nomination
Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2004
The 2004 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 2004 U.S. presidential election...
and went on to chair the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
.
See also
- Government of VermontGovernment of VermontThe government of Vermont is in the form of a democratic republic, similar to that of the United States. In 1791, Vermont joined the United States as the fourteenth state.The Vermont state capital is Montpelier.-State Government:...
- Elections in the United StatesElections in the United StatesThe United States has a federal government, with elected officials at the federal , state and local levels. On a national level, the head of state, the President, is elected indirectly by the people, through an Electoral College. In modern times, the electors virtually always vote with the popular...
- Political party strength in VermontPolitical party strength in VermontThe following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Vermont:*Governor*Lieutenant Governor*Secretary of State*Attorney General*State Treasurer*State Auditor of Accounts...
- Vermont gubernatorial election, 2004Vermont gubernatorial election, 2004The 2004 Vermont gubernatorial election took place on 2 November 2004 for the post of Governor of Vermont. Incumbent Republican Governor Jim Douglas was re-elected defeating Democratic Mayor of Burlington Peter Clavelle.-Results:-Results:...
- United States Senate election in Vermont, 2004
- Vermont elections, 2006Vermont elections, 2006The Vermont Election in 2006 consisted of elections for federal, state, and local elections. All state offices were for two years; all terms expired in 2006...
- Vermont elections, 2008Vermont elections, 2008The Vermont Election in 2008 consisted of elections for federal, state, and local elections. All state offices are for two years; all terms expired in 2008. Elections included the gubernatorial, all state offices, including all state senators and representatives, the federal Congress and the...
- United States presidential election in Vermont, 2000United States presidential election in Vermont, 2000The 2000 United States presidential election in Vermont took place on November 7, 2000 throughout all 50 states and D.C., which was part of the 2000 United States presidential election...
- United States presidential election in Vermont, 2004
External reference
- Elections & Campaign Finance Division at the Vermont Secretary of State official website
- Congressional Papers collection, Center for Digital Initiatives, University of Vermont Library
- Congressional Portraits collection, Center for Digital Initiatives, University of Vermont Library
- Congressional Speeches collection, Center for Digital Initiatives, University of Vermont Library
- Letters Home from Congress collection, Center for Digital Initiatives, University of Vermont Library