Vermont’s new, universal vote-by-mail law contains a technical flaw “leaving the authority of the Secretary of State ambiguous as it relates to ballot returns,” Gov. Phil Scott said in a letter to the Legislature sent Thursday.
As the Green Mountain State prepares for widespread mail-in voting this fall, vote-by-mail elections have already led to massive fraud in New Jersey, and Vermont’s system is experiencing early signs of trouble.
Gov. Phil Scott said at his press conference Monday he will not veto S.348, the bill allowing Secretary of State James Condos to conduct a universal vote-by-mail for the Nov. 3 general election.
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal filed voter fraud charges Thursday against two Paterson city officials who allegedly engaged in a mail-in ballot scheme in connection to a special election in May.
The General Assembly passed a bill that would take the governor out of the decision to send mail-in ballots to all registered voters, but some town clerks say a universal vote-by-mail system in Vermont is a bad idea.
At his press conference Wednesday, Gov. Phil Scott left the door open — but only just a tiny crack — for a veto of S.348, universal voting by mail.
The Brennan Center for Justice, Priorities USA, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law are three of the groups that, with an eye toward the November elections, are calling on government officials to make it easier to vote by mail.
During a debate over mail-in voting Wednesday, the chair of the House Committee on Government Operations said Vermont law does not prohibit ballot harvesting, a controversial practice in which third parties collect and submit ballots on behalf of others during an election.
Confusion over mail-in ballots caused voting in the Washington, D.C., primary to stretch late into the night Tuesday. The District’s primary election, plagued by complaints from voters who said they never received mail-in ballots, comes amid debate over the security and efficiency of voting by mail.
They say send out post cards to all voters offering them the opportunity to apply for absentee ballots, as under current law. We think Sen. Benning and Town Clerk Dwyer are exactly right.
Town clerks were asked if they support or oppose the secretary’s plan, if they are concerned about technical glitches or voter fraud, and whether the benefits outweigh the problems. Twenty-seven clerks responded.
This bill (S.348) is unnecessary because we already have a secure system in place that enables voters to be and feel safe when exercising their right to vote. Potential unforeseen consequences that could dilute the sanctity and security of our election cannot be dismissed.