Panel seeks audit of split legislative districts; clerks warn of capacity strain

The Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee on Feb. 26 heard a proposal from Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas and Elections Director Sean Sheehan to direct town and city clerks and boards of civil authority in municipalities with multiple legislative districts to review district assignments and report back to the secretary of state’s office by Nov. 15, 2025.

The review is intended to double-check that voters are assigned to the correct House or Senate district after the 2022 redistricting and a recent error in Bennington 1 that left some voters assigned to the wrong district. “Our office really appreciates this committee’s focus on this issue,” Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas said. “We think it will be most effective if the secretary of state’s office is directed to support the town and city clerks and boards of civil authority…to do a once over and a double check.”

The secretary’s office and the Elections Division proposed that municipal clerks and boards of civil authority conduct local reviews, while the secretary’s office provide training, a reporting form and technical support. Elections Director Sean Sheehan said the approach aligns with existing statutory responsibilities for clerks and boards of civil authority and with the secretary’s role in providing structure, training and the election management system.

Clerks’ representatives told the committee the review is doable but flagged practical concerns. Chelsea Maguire, chair of the Vermont Municipal Clerks and Treasurers Association Legislative Committee, said most clerks already face heavy workloads and that boards of civil authority (BCAs) frequently lack clarity about their statutory duties. “As much guidance and assistance as towns could get would be greatly appreciated,” Maguire said.

Maguire said clerks expect the audit would touch “about two dozen” communities that are split between multiple House or Senate districts. She added that, in municipalities where clerks mail ballots, the clerks must ensure that the right ballots go to the right residents when two ballot types are needed on the same street — a task she said increases the risk of human error during envelope-stuffing and mailing.

Clerks also raised other items in the committee’s draft miscellaneous elections bill. Maguire said she polled VMCTA members and received 66 responses; about three-quarters of respondents opposed a move to universal mail-in ballots, preferring that local clerk offices handle ballot mailings. Clerks reported concerns about UOCAVA (military and overseas voting) logistics, wanted petition-deadline timing kept at least as long as current local deadlines, and strongly favored a provision on “consent for write-in candidates” that would reduce time spent counting late write-ins.

On funding, clerks said most towns budget locally for election workers and related expenses; some used outside grants in the last cycle to pay workers. Maguire noted smaller and older-population towns sometimes still hand-count ballots and have fewer financial resources, increasing the operational burden of extended counting periods.

Committee members suggested practical supports clerks could use, including a one-page summary of BCA responsibilities and training binders with step-by-step checklists; one member pointed to South Burlington’s binder as a model. Multiple lawmakers emphasized the need to consult clerks further and asked the VMCTA to gather more feedback before the committee drafts final amendment language.

The committee did not take formal action at the Feb. 26 hearing. Members scheduled a deeper, line-by-line discussion of ranked-choice voting provisions for a Friday meeting and asked the secretary’s office and clerks to provide written feedback and suggested language ahead of that session. No motions or votes were recorded in the transcript of this meeting.

What happens next: the secretary of state’s office and the VMCTA will refine recommended language for the committee; clerks were asked to provide additional feedback on workload, training needs and logistics. The committee noted crossover-related deadlines and indicated it intends to prepare an amended bill for consideration before crossover.