Secretary of State briefs Senate commission on voter tools, licensing reforms and civic outreach

Summary

The Vermont Secretary of State’s office told the Senate Commission on Government Operations on Jan. 16 that it has rolled out new IT systems, launched a universal voter guide, is advancing sunrise reviews for doulas and early childhood educators, and will seek funding and stakeholder work on professional licensure reforms.

The Secretary of State and Deputy Secretary of State updated the Senate Commission on Government Operations on Jan. 16 on a range of office initiatives, from new election and business IT systems to licensing reforms and a statewide civic health effort.

The presentation covered four core areas: technology upgrades to business and elections systems, Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) work on licensure and sunrise reviews, civic-engagement programming including a Civic Health Index, and municipal assistance and records work. The secretary said the office aims to modernize services while protecting the public and supporting transparency.

The secretary told the commission that the office has launched three upgraded IT systems — business services, campaign finance and lobbying — and expects the Vermont Election Management System (VEMS), used by local clerks to maintain voter checklists and enter results, to go live in April. “We replaced and upgraded four critical IT systems,” the secretary said. The business services upgrade went live in December ahead of January renewals and is intended to produce automated reminders for filings.

On voter information, the office said Vermont implemented its first universal voter…

Secretary of State briefs Senate commission on voter tools, licensing reforms and civic outreach

Summary

Subscribe to keep reading