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Jericho DEI Committee asks Selectboard to adopt 5% petition threshold for ballot placement
Summary
The Jericho DEI Committee voted unanimously on May 11 to send a letter asking the Selectboard to approve a 5% signature threshold for ballot petitions, down from a locally used 10%; Wendy Verrei will send and sign the letter and the committee will seek a Selectboard agenda slot to present background.
The Jericho Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee voted unanimously on May 11 to send a letter to the Selectboard asking that ballot-petition signature requirements be set at 5% of the Jericho electorate rather than the town's current 10% threshold.
Committee member Beth Esmond moved to approve sending the letter; Wendy Verrei seconded the motion, which passed unanimously. The committee agreed that Wendy Verrei, serving as clerk, will transmit and sign the letter on the group's behalf and that the DEI Committee will request an agenda slot at a future Selectboard meeting to present background and answer questions.
Committee members said the requested 5% threshold reflects the more common practice across Vermont towns and argued the lower threshold would align Jericho with that broader practice. The discussion included a review of the origins of the current 10% requirement but did not cite a specific statute or ordinance during the meeting.
The committee's action is procedural: it directs the clerk to deliver the group’s request and seeks a Selectboard forum for further discussion rather than changing any local rules itself. The Selectboard must act for any official change to petition placement rules or ballot procedures.
Next steps: the DEI Committee will provide background materials to the Selectboard when offered an opportunity to appear; no Selectboard response or date was specified at the May 11 meeting.
