Vermont 2025-2026 Regular Session

Vermont Senate Bill S0137 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	BILL AS INTRODUCED S.137
2	2	2025 Page 1 of 6
3	3
4	4
5	5	VT LEG #379866 v.1
6	6	S.137 1
7	7	Introduced by Senator Perchlik 2
8	8	Referred to Committee on 3
9	9	Date: 4
10	10	Subject: Elections; conduct of elections; ballots; “None of these candidates” 5
11	11	voting option 6
12	12	Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require that 7
13	13	primary and general election ballots provide an option for a voter to choose 8
14	14	“None of these candidates.” If a voter chooses that option in lieu of voting for 9
15	15	any candidate, the vote shall not be counted as a blank vote and instead shall 10
16	16	be specifically counted as a vote for “None of these candidates” and have the 11
17	17	same significance as a vote for a candidate. 12
18	18	An act relating to an option to vote “None of these candidates” on primary 13
19	19	and general election ballots 14
20	20	It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 15
21	21	Sec. 1. PURPOSE AND INTENT 16
22	22	(a) Purpose. This act provides an option for voters to choose “None of 17
23	23	these candidates” on primary and general election ballots and establishes that a 18
24	24	vote for “None of these candidates” is specifically counted as a vote for none 19
25	25	of the listed candidates and not as a blank vote. 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.137
26	26	2025 Page 2 of 6
27	27
28	28
29	29	VT LEG #379866 v.1
30	30	(b) Intent. After the option to choose “None of these candidates” is enacted 1
31	31	into law, the General Assembly intends to amend Rule 10(c) of the Joint Rules 2
32	32	of the Senate and House of Representatives so that a vote for “None of these 3
33	33	candidates” on a general election ballot is specifically counted as such and not 4
34	34	as a blank vote when determining whether a candidate for Governor, 5
35	35	Lieutenant Governor, or Treasurer received a major part of the votes in 6
36	36	accordance with Chapter II, § 47 of the Vermont Constitution. 7
37	37	Sec. 2. 17 V.S.A. § 2362 is amended to read: 8
38	38	§ 2362. PRIMARY BALLOTS 9
39	39	(a) A separate ballot for each major political party shall be printed and 10
40	40	furnished to the towns by the Secretary of State and shall contain the names of 11
41	41	all candidates for nomination by that party at the primary. Ballots shall be 12
42	42	printed on index stock and configured to be readable by vote tabulators. 13
43	43	Ballots shall be printed in substantially the following form: 14
44	44	OFFICIAL VERMONT PRIMARY ELECTION BALLOT 15
45	45	VOTE ON ONE PARTY BALLOT ONLY AND PLACE IN BALLOT 16
46	46	BOX OR VOTE TABULATOR 17
47	47	ALL OTHER PARTY BALLOTS MUST BE PLACED IN UNVOTED 18
48	48	BALLOT BOX 19
49	49	________________________ 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.137
50	50	2025 Page 3 of 6
51	51
52	52
53	53	VT LEG #379866 v.1
54	54	[MAJOR POLITICAL PARTY NAME] 1
55	55	________________________ 2
56	56	Instructions to voters: Use black pen or pencil to fill in the oval. To 3
57	57	vote for a person whose name is printed on the ballot, fill in the oval to the 4
58	58	right of the name of that person. To vote for a person whose name is not 5
59	59	printed on the ballot, write or stick his or her the person’s name in the blank 6
60	60	space provided and fill in the oval to the right of the write-in space. Do not 7
61	61	vote for more candidates than the “Vote for Not More Than” number for an 8
62	62	office. You may also choose “None of these candidates” if you do not want to 9
63	63	vote for any candidate. If you make a mistake, tear, or deface the ballot, return 10
64	64	it to an election official and obtain another ballot. Do not erase. 11
65	65	(b)(1) Following the names of candidates printed on the ballot after the 12
66	66	name of each office to be filled shall be: 13
67	67	(A) an option for a voter to choose “None of these candidates”; and 14
68	68	(B) as many blank lines for write-in candidates as there are persons to 15
69	69	be elected to that office. 16
70	70	(2) If no primary petition is filed for an office or for a candidate 17
71	71	belonging to a party, the ballot shall contain the name of the office and blank 18
72	72	lines for write-in candidates. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.137
73	73	2025 Page 4 of 6
74	74
75	75
76	76	VT LEG #379866 v.1
77	77	Sec. 3. 17 V.S.A. § 2472 is amended to read: 1
78	78	§ 2472. CONTENTS 2
79	79	(a)(1) The ballot shall be titled “OFFICIAL VERMONT GENERAL 3
80	80	ELECTION BALLOT,” followed by the date of the election. Immediately 4
81	81	below, the following instructions shall be printed: “Instruction to Voters: To 5
82	82	vote for a candidate whose name is printed on the ballot, fill in the oval at the 6
83	83	right of that person’s name and party designation. To vote for a candidate 7
84	84	whose name is not printed on the ballot, write the person’s name on the blank 8
85	85	line in the appropriate block and fill in the oval to the right of that blank line. 9
86	86	When there are two or more candidates to be elected to one office, you may 10
87	87	vote for any number of candidates up to and including the maximum number.” 11
88	88	You may also fill in the oval to the right of “None of these candidates” if you 12
89	89	do not want to vote for any candidate.” 13
90	90	(2) The name of the town or towns and legislative district in which the 14
91	91	ballot is to be used shall be listed in the upper left hand corner. 15
92	92	(b)(1) Each office to be voted upon shall be separately indicated and 16
93	93	preceded by the word “For,” as: “For United States Senator.” Beneath the 17
94	94	office to be voted upon shall appear the instructions: “Vote for not more than 18
95	95	(the number of candidates to be elected).” 19
96	96	(2)(A) The names of the candidates for each office shall be listed in 20
97	97	alphabetical order by surname, followed by the candidate’s town of residence, 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.137
98	98	2025 Page 5 of 6
99	99
100	100
101	101	VT LEG #379866 v.1
102	102	and the party or parties by which the candidate has been nominated, or in the 1
103	103	case of independent candidates who have not chosen some other name or 2
104	104	identification, by the word “Independent.” 3
105	105	(B) The word “party” shall not be printed on the ballot following a 4
106	106	candidate’s party name. 5
107	107	* * * 6
108	108	(c) Following the names of candidates for each office, there shall be as: 7
109	109	(1) An option for a voter to choose “None of these candidates” and an 8
110	110	oval to the right of that option that is identical to the ovals that follow the 9
111	111	candidates’ names. 10
112	112	(2) As many blank write-in lines as there are persons to be elected to 11
113	113	that office. To the right of each such line shall be the words “Write-In” and an 12
114	114	oval identical to the ovals that follow the candidates’ names. Lines provided 13
115	115	for writing in names for President and Vice President shall be separately 14
116	116	designated by the words “President” and “Vice President.” 15
117	117	* * * 16
118	118	Sec. 4. 17 V.S.A. § 2587 is amended to read: 17
119	119	§ 2587. RULES FOR COUNTING VOTES 18
120	120	* * * 19
121	121	(b) If the voter marks more names than there are persons to be elected to an 20
122	122	office, marks a name and “None of these candidates,” or marks contradictory 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED S.137
123	123	2025 Page 6 of 6
124	124
125	125
126	126	VT LEG #379866 v.1
127	127	sides on any public question, overvotes equal to the number of candidates to be 1
128	128	elected to the office must shall be recorded on the tally sheet for that office or 2
129	129	question. 3
130	130	(c)(1) A write-in vote for a candidate whose name is preprinted on the 4
131	131	ballot shall be counted as a vote for that candidate. 5
132	132	* * * 6
133	133	(3) A vote for “None of these candidates” shall be counted as a vote for 7
134	134	none of the listed candidates, have the same significance as a vote for a 8
135	135	candidate, and be recorded on the tally sheet for that office. 9
136	136	* * * 10
137	137	(f) When the same number of persons are nominated for the position of 11
138	138	justice of the peace as there are positions to be filled, the presiding officer may 12
139	139	declare the whole slate of candidates elected without making individual tallies, 13
140	140	providing provided that each person on the slate has more votes than the 14
141	141	largest number of write-in votes for any one candidate. 15
142	142	Sec. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE 16
143	143	This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 17