House committee amendment advances H.541 to address interference with voters and election officials

The Vermont House on Tuesday approved a committee amendment to H.541 aimed at criminalizing interference with voters and election officials and ordered the bill for third reading.

Representative Goodnow, speaking for the House Judiciary Committee, said the measure "grapples with 2 fundamental principles of our democracy: first, the right to vote, unmolested and unobstructed; and second, the right to free political speech." The proposal would create a new criminal statute in Title 17, codified as proposed 17 V.S.A. § 1975, making it unlawful to "intentionally or recklessly intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce another individual" in ways that obstruct a person’s right to vote or the administration of an election.

Goodnow told the chamber the committee heard testimony from constitutional scholars, the deputy solicitor general, the secretary of state’s office, town clerks and election officials, victim‑services advocates and judicial officers. "Your committee on judiciary took testimony from a number of stakeholders," Goodnow said, and the committee reported the bill favorably on a 10‑0‑1 vote.

Under the committee version described on the floor, subsection (a)(1) covers conduct aimed at voters to obstruct their right to vote; subsection (a)(2) covers intimidation of public servants, election officials or public employees intended to interfere with election administration. The penalty provision in section (b) provides for up to two years in prison or a fine not to exceed $2,000 for a violation.

The House adopted the committee amendment by voice vote and the presiding officer ordered a third reading. No roll‑call tally was recorded on the floor for final passage during the session.

Next steps: H.541 is scheduled for a third reading before further floor action; the committee record and calendar will contain the amendment language and statutory citations.