Election Procedures

Vermont’s democracy is built on free, fair, and accessible elections. Our state Constitution mandates “all elections ought to be free and without corruption.” It also bestows upon every one of us “a right to elect officers, and be elected to office.”

In Vermont, elections are administered at the local level. Clerks, boards of civil authority, candidates, and voters all have deadlines to meet and roles to play. All Vermonters work together to build trust and maintain confidence in our elections.

At the Office of the Secretary of State, we support all involved in running Vermont’s elections in a proper and legal manner. We created Election Procedures—A Guide for Election Officials as a step-by-step reference for election officials. It is one of our core town clerk resources, along with a detailed Elections Calendar and timely Elections Bulletins.

Download the 2026 Election Procedures—A Guide for Election Officials (PDF).

Some appendices included in the guide are standalone documents. We’ve provided these as downloadable PDFs below. Any appendices not linked below are available to town clerks in the Election Management System Document Library.

• Appendix A: Request for Early or Absentee Ballot
• Appendix B: Ballot Bag Packing Instructions
• Appendix C: VT Voter Affidavit Form for Undelivered/Lost Absentee Ballots
• Appendix D: Sworn Affirmation of Residency/Domicile for Challenged Voters
• Appendix E: Vermont Voter Bill of Rights
• Appendix F: Notice to Voters- Instructions for Marking Your Ballot
• Appendix G: Sample Local Ballot
• Appendix H: Defective Ballot Envelope
• Appendix I: Replaced Ballot Envelope
• Appendix J: Defective Ballot Marking Cards
• Appendix K: Counting Rules for All Towns – Voter Intent
• Appendix L: Administrative Complaint Procedure
• Appendix M: Rule on What Constitutes a Vote
• Appendix N: Affidavit of No Ballot Cast
• Appendix O: Removed/updated
• Appendix P: Procedures for Use of Tabulators for Early Voting in the Clerk's Office
• Appendix Q: Defective Ballot Notice
• Appendix R: Elections Materials Retention Guidance
• Appendix S: Counting & Reporting Write-in Votes
• Appendix T: Voter ID/Documentation FAQs

The edition of Election Procedures—A Guide for Election Officials available here is current and includes changes to federal and state election laws enacted since previous editions were published. Please discard all outdated copies you may have.

Current Election Law- Title 17

Visit the Vermont General Assembly’s website for the Vermont Statutes Online, an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience. Title 17 governs elections, lobbying disclosure, and campaign finance. Title 24 specifically pertains to municipal and county government, and includes information about local elections.

Current Elections Calendar

Refer to the Elections Calendar for a detailed overview of upcoming deadlines and elections.

Campaign Finance

The Campaign Finance Guide is provided for your reference. Please note that all candidates, including those for local offices, must file campaign finance reports with the Office of the Secretary of State. Visit the Campaign Finance page for more information and reporting forms.