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Senate Government Operations committee readies consideration of H.78 to permit hybrid Australian-ballot voting at town meetings
Summary
On Jan. 29 the Senate Government Operations Committee discussed H.78, which would amend 17 V.S.A. § 2680 to allow municipalities to elect "any or all" officers by Australian ballot, validate hybrid practices used by some towns and include transitional grandfathering for 2025 and prior elections.
Chair Connor, of the Senate Government Operations Committee, told members Jan. 29 that H.78 — the bill often called the Australian ballot bill — is on the House calendar and expected to reach the Senate committee "forthwith," and that the committee would take it up on Friday if the House suspends its rules to pass and transmit the bill.
Tucker Anderson, legislative counsel, said the bill would amend 17 V.S.A. § 2680 to add the words "any or all," allowing municipalities to elect any or all of their officers by Australian ballot rather than forcing an all-or-nothing choice between Australian ballot and floor elections. "[T]he bill . . . would propose to allow municipalities to elect any or all of their officers using the Australian ballot system," Anderson said.
The nut graf: the change is intended to…
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