Condos, Gray and Donovan urge corporations to meddle in state election decisions

April 20, 2020
For immediate release

Contact:
Eric Covey, 802-828-2148 (Secretary of State’s Office)
Hazel Brewster, 802-636-7047 (Lieutenant Governor’s Office)
Charity Clark, 802-828-3171 (Attorney General’s Office)

Today Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos, Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray and Attorney General T.J. Donovan joined a bipartisan coalition of over 50 current or former statewide elected leaders in signing a letter calling upon corporate leadership to speak out against voter suppression, following the passage of Georgia’s controversial voting rights restriction law. According to the non-partisan Brennan Center for Justice 361 bills aimed at restricting the rights of eligible voters have been introduced in 47 states.

The letter states, in part “we are asking the business leaders in our states, and throughout the country, to add their voices to the growing chorus of corporations standing on the right side of history. When the foundation of our democracy— the freedom of citizens in our states to cast their ballots — is under attack, it is powerful and important when Americans speak up, especially those in leadership positions.”

“The true voter fraud in this country is to deny any eligible American from registering to vote and casting their ballot,” said Secretary Condos, who is Vermont’s chief election official. “Now, more than ever, on the heels of record voter participation in the 2020 election, we need to come together as a country to firmly reject these undemocratic attempts to turn back the clock on voting rights.”

“I’m proud of our state’s leadership in removing barriers to the ballot box. In the last election, we saw record turnout not only in Vermont but across the nation. We must oppose efforts to rollback voter participation,” said Lieutenant Governor Gray. “We’ve witnessed the power of Vermont businesses and businesses nationally in protecting human rights, promoting social responsibility, and upholding the foundations of our democracy. This moment is no different. I applaud and support business leaders in speaking out against voter suppression.”

“While Vermont experienced record turnout in the 2020 election, we must acknowledge that efforts to suppress and disenfranchise voters continue to plague our country,” said Attorney General Donovan. “I will continue to defend the constitutional right to vote, and I hope business leaders from across the nation join in support of protecting voting rights.”

Conversely, in Vermont legislation is being considered to expand the voting franchise, by making the universal mailing of ballots to all voters a permanent fixture of the Vermont General Election.

The full letter can be found on the Secretary of State’s website.

Image courtesy of Flickr/Gage Skidmore

11 thoughts on “Condos, Gray and Donovan urge corporations to meddle in state election decisions

  1. First off, Condos, Gray, and Donovan why are they entertaining and promoting that
    Georgia’s voter law is restricting voter rights, apparently, they really haven’t read it,
    as all they are doing is pushing the ” DemocRATic ” talking points with rhetoric like
    saying it’s the new ” Jim Crow “, pure BS !!

    The country has seen the corruption in the last election, and any new laws or changes
    to halt this activity, well watch the roadblocks, and watch who’s promoting it.

    Then this bipartisan coalition of former statewide elected leaders signing a letter calling
    upon ” corporate leadership ” I assume more Zuckerberg, Dorsey, Bezos to speak out
    against voter suppression and controversial voting rights and restrictions with money !!

    Voting should be simple, the day of voting, go to your local poll with an ID, or ” request ”
    an absentee ballot …… everything else is just asking for fraud.

    Hey, Sec Condos, when was the last time the voter logs were updated and verified ??

  2. Condos, Donovan & Gray are soliciting your vote, they claim your right to vote is being suppressed.

    In reality, they are asking you to hand your vote over to the lobby they serve, all while misrepresenting the agendas behind the truth they are distorting!

    This treason they propose, lies in the bait and switch tactics of motives that deny the sacred integrity of your true intention.

  3. I did not hear conservatives speaking out when Citizens United basically made corporations into “people” and allowed to have the same rights on speaking out and donating to issues as any human person does.

    Nor did I hear any complaints when corporations were donating a lot of money to political campaigns of both parties, but far more to Repubs.

    I did not hear any conservatives complaining when the Goya Company spoke out in favor of Trump, as well as Mike Lindell of “My Pillow” who actually encouraged Trump to declare martial law after Jan. 6.

    I did not hear conservatives complaining when Chik-Fil-A spoke out against gay rights and gay marriage.

    I could post a lot more examples but you get the gist of what I am saying.

    Let’s be honest, you only have issues with Corps. weighing in on politics when it is an issue you disagree with.

    The facts are, Corporations have been speaking out on political issues for years and both Dems. and Repubs. benefit, as well as don’t benefit from it.

    Please don’t be hypocrtical.

    I fully admit that many Corps. have spoken out on issues I support, but I also admit that many speak out on issues I disagree with.

    It is hypocritical for ANY of us to complain about it when we are upset because we disagree with the issue.

    I include myself in this as well, I am always happy to have Corps. come out on issues I support, and don’t like it when they come out in favor of issues I don’t support.

    But to complain only when the Company speak out about something you disagree with, while being happy when they speak out on things you DO agree with, just makes us sound like hypocrites.

    Deal with it, on this one issue Corps. have spoken out on something you disagree with.

    Act like an adult and accept that just because you don’t like companies speaking out, it does not mean that they don’t have the right to do so.

    I have been upset over the years many times about Corps. speaking on political issues, but an adult learns to just live with it and not whine and complain like a toddler.

    Both

    • The corporations and private interests that spoke out in favor of Trump and his policies did so because it was in their best interests to promote these pro-business, free market policies. Vermont officials are twisting arms of the private sector to promote and achieve their policies. That is the textbook definition of fascism.

  4. Condos and his co-conspirators’ know exactly what they are doing, hopefully more Vermonters will do the same thing in 2022 and vote some of these people out.

  5. Being secure in the knowledge that our votes count is easily said. As always, however, while the Devil is in the details, a transparent process is not difficult to imagine or manage. In fact, most of what is necessary in the process is already the policy in most municipalities and precincts. What’s missing is timely public disclosure.

    First, Voter Checklists, listing each individual registered voter, must be publicly updated, and published, for all to see, prior to an election – for obvious reasons.

    Second, because voter registration can now occur right up until the time a vote is cast, a ‘final version’ of the Voter Checklist must be published as soon after an election as is possible… again, for all to see.

    Importantly, the ‘final version’ of the Voter Checklist must indicate whether or not each registered voter on the Checklist voted in the given election. This is not to say that specific voter choices must be publicized. Absolutely not. Those choices are secretly submitted. However, it is of the utmost importance that the public be informed as to whether or not a specific voter voted.

    Again, this is not a difficult process to facilitate. It does not assume that Town Clerks are perfect in the execution of their duties. In fact, this process will better assist Town Clerks in managing their obligations… for obvious reasons. But most importantly, the public will be able to feel more and more secure in the knowledge that their vote, and the votes of their neighbors, actually counted the longer this process is followed.

  6. “The true voter fraud in this country is to deny any eligible American from registering to vote and casting their ballot,” said Secretary Condos, who is Vermont’s chief election official. “Now, more than ever, on the heels of record voter participation in the 2020 election, we need to come together as a country to firmly reject these undemocratic attempts to turn back the clock on voting rights.”

    So nice of Condos to take a nationwide view of voting when he knows that he cannot even describe a way to detect voter fraud in Vermont caused by the mass mailed ballot scheme he championed. In the 50 years I have been in Vermont and the 25 years that I have been on the Board of Civil Authority I have never seen or heard of any instance of anyone being denied the right to vote.

    The fraud that we are in danger of is not denial of the right to vote. We are in danger of having our vote canceled by those who are not eligible to vote or those who illegally vote more than once. It is beyond idiocy to NOT have a voter ID requirement or to have unrequested absentee voting. It is elitist to suggest that BIPOC or any other group are not capable of obtaining an ID suitable for voting.

    Every citizen should be able to be secure in the knowledge that their vote counts and that is not possible with the mass mailed ballot scheme perpetuated by Condos, Democrats, Liberals and Progressives.

  7. They are not ignorant, Brian. They are perpetrating a con. The ignorant ones are those who buy their BS.

    • Robert,

      Exactly correct.
      A red-herring con it is.
      Sheer diversionary it is.

      Vermont has multiple loopholes allowing:

      – dead people to vote
      – people out of state to vote,
      – the travesty of motor-voter
      – out-of-state students to vote, plus they vote in their own state, even though they say they don’t.

      The registered voter lists are a mess, according to numerous Town Clerks, who claim they have NEAR-ZERO, UP-TO-DATE documentation, and no recent signatures for verification, or recent voter ID with up to date photo.

      VOTER LIST MANIPULATION PLUS EVERYTHING ELSE
      https://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/here-is-a-write-up-about-a-voting-irregularity-that-led-to-many

      Dem/Progs likely know:

      – Illegals, with and without documents, are not allowed to vote, per US Constitution.
      – Legal US residents with green cards (who are not citizens), are also not allowed to vote, per US Constitution.

      Dem/Progs aim to have every one vote, dead or alive, a la Tracy Adams in Georgia.
      In Georgia, numerous folks REGISTERED AND VOTED, SEVERAL DAYS AFTER election day.
      To make that happen, Dem/Progs in Georgia,. Vermont, or any other state, want “inclusive” registered voter lists; the more names the better, the more names of non-voters the better.

      Anecdote, i.e., my personal experience

      An “unlikely” voter shows up to vote, in person.
      Poll worker: You already voted.
      Voter: How could that be! I never received a ballot?
      Poll worker: Let me see. Our records show you did. OK, here is a spare ballot. Please sign this affidavit, (to “classify” me for the next time)

      Purifying Registered Voter Lists

      Vermont Secretary of State Condos, and his counterparts in other states, should focus on:

      1) Cleaning up their registered voter lists
      2)) Rectify their loose-goosy, permissive, voting “requirements”, instead of using them as election weapons to flout the will of the people.

      Manipulating voter lists provides corrupt election officials more names to “play” with, to enhance Dem/Prog power and command/control.

      Secretaries of State and Dem/Prog legislators want to keep “their registered voting list weapons” by:

      1) Not deleting dead people
      2) Not deleting people who moved to another state
      3) Enabling non-citizens and illegal aliens to vote
      4) Enabling temporary residents to vote, even if they would reside less time in state than required by law. That requirement should be at least one year to avoid shenanigans
      5) Enabling convicted felons to vote (in jail, on parole, or not)
      6) Enabling under-age people to vote
      7) Enabling feeble-minded people in nursing homes to “vote”, by “proxies” filling in their ballots, without telling them; the epidemy of “absentee” voting.
      8) Enabling out-of-state /foreign students, citizen or not, to vote. They should vote in their own state/country at all times, no excuse.
      9) Enabling “motor-voting” to all comers, documented or not.
      10) Enabling ballot drop off boxes that are unsupervised 24/7, not monitored by video, a major fraud opportunity. A continuity of custody issue.
      11) Enabling indiscriminate mail-in voting (taking advantage of COVID conditions), a major fraud opportunity, as President Carter predicted a few decades ago, and was proven in 2020.
      12 Placing in service Dominion, etc., voting machines that are:

      1) Programmable, i.e., they automatically switch votes from non-favored to favored candidates, as demonstrated on videos.
      2) Wirelessly connected to state-owned servers, enabling the:

      – Observation of real-time counting by official state entities.
      – Observation by unofficial entities by: 1) hacking the servers, and 2) by having received passwords from corrupt counting officials.
      – Sharing of real-time counting with US and foreign media for their election coverage.
      – The active “observation/participation” by foreign actors, such as China, etc.

      NOTE: Condos would say: “Vermont’s counting machines are old-fashioned. They merely read ballots”
      Feeding “extra” ballots of dead people, and moved people, into the readers, to favor a candidate, at opportune times, is not possible?

  8. It would be nice if they could determine an “eligible American”. However randomly sending votes out without any verification does not do that.

    The ignorance of these people is astounding.

    From my point of view the only voter fraud I’m seeing comes from our elected representatives.

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