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Senate advances Vermont Voting Rights Act after lengthy floor review; roll call orders third reading (28–0)
Summary
Senate committee reported and the floor debated S298, the Vermont Voting Rights Act, which adds prohibitions on vote denial and dilution, creates enforcement authority for the attorney general, and adds civil and criminal penalties for interference and false information; the Senate recorded a roll-call tally of 28–0 and ordered third reading.
The Senate heard a detailed second-reading report on S298, the Vermont Voting Rights Act, which the Government Operations Committee trimmed and presented for floor review. The bill creates state-level prohibitions on vote denial and vote dilution, defines protected classes and municipalities for enforcement purposes, authorizes the attorney general to seek civil remedies, and adds civil and criminal sanctions for interference, intimidation and communicating false information to eligible voters.
Senator White, reporting the committee's work, said the bill was narrowed from an original 25-page draft to under 10 pages and that the committee focused on protecting access to the franchise in light of federal changes. The bill defines vote denial and dilution and provides that a violation may be established based on the totality of the circumstances. Among remedies, the bill authorizes a first-violation civil penalty of $5,000 and up to $25,000 for subsequent violations and allows courts to order reimbursement of state investigative costs.
The bill also adds a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for election officers or others who refuse to permit a qualified voter to vote or to tabulate a qualified voter's ballot, and it contemplates criminal penalties including imprisonment for certain offenses. New sections address intimidation of election officers (penalties up to two years' imprisonment or $2,000 fines), intimidation of voters (civil remedies and criminal penalties), and a private civil cause of action for affected voters who were subject to false information about date, time, place or registration status.
The committee also included a section clarifying that campaign expenditures may include security costs for candidates and officeholders. The floor exchanged detailed questions about the definitions used in the bill — notably the scope of "language minority" and whether mailing or electronic voting would be covered under the false-information prohibition — with senators noting some items would need confirmation from legislative counsel.
The Senate requested a roll call for third reading. The secretary called the roll; the recorded tally was 28 yes, 0 no. The chair announced that third reading was ordered.
