About the Elections Division

The Elections Division works to protect the integrity of Vermont’s democracy. We have three primary responsibilities: 1) We support free, fair, and accessible elections; 2) We facilitate campaign finance reporting, and 3) We promote transparency into how lobbying is conducted.

Elections in Vermont are administered at the local level. The Elections Division works closely with town, city and county clerks across the state to ensure smooth administration.

When it comes to biennial state and federal elections, the Elections Division plays a central role. We administer state and federal election law. We offer guidance to parties, aspiring candidates, and clerks. We promote voter registration and spearhead efforts to increase participation. We train clerks on election procedures and connect them with data to use as they maintain voter checklists. We provide systems, equipment and supplies that are fundamental to carrying out elections. We receive many candidate filings directly and coordinate with clerks on others. We manage the ballot design and printing process as well as the statewide mailing of General Election ballots. We facilitate the statewide canvass of results and the post-election audit. We serve as an intermediary to federal partners and security professionals. We help election officials deal with routine questions and emergencies that arise before, during, and after election day.

When it comes to municipal elections, on the other hand, the Elections Division does not have jurisdiction. We do serve as a resource in sharing statutory citations and approaches we hear from towns. We also offer guidance on using election systems and tools, if towns choose to use them.

The Elections Division facilitates Vermont's campaign finance law. All candidates, PACs, and parties file their campaign finance disclosure reports with us. We, in turn, make those reports available to the public for inspection. We do not have investigative or enforcement authority over campaign finance law. The Attorney General receives complaints of violations.

Finally, the Elections Division administers Vermont's lobbyist disclosure law. All lobbyists, lobbyist employers, and lobbying firms file their periodic lobbying disclosure forms with us. We make these disclosures available to the public for inspection.

This website contains an array of information about how elections are conducted. It features historical elections information. It connects users to relevant campaign finance and lobbyist disclosure laws. It provides public access to filings pursuant to each of those laws. We invite you to browse the site and read our FAQs. If you cannot find what you need, please reach out to us using our contact form.