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House Judiciary reviews draft criminalizing interference with voters and election officials
Summary
The House Judiciary Committee reviewed draft 2.1 of H.541 to create a new offense for "interference with voters and election officials," debated mens rea language drawn from Counterman v. Colorado (2023), and heard support from election officials and the attorney general's office; no vote was taken.
The House Judiciary Committee met Wednesday to consider draft 2.1 of a committee amendment to H.541, a bill that would create a new offense titled in the draft as "17 VSA 19 75" for "interference with voters and election officials." Tim Devlin, legislative counsel, walked members through the new language and said the draft adds an "intentionally or recklessly" mens rea and explicitly covers causing someone to vote or not vote "for any candidate or public question."
Ryan Kane, deputy solicitor general for the Vermont attorney general's office, told the committee he saw "no obvious facial constitutional deficiencies in…
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