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Sandgate Selectboard confirms winners after ballot-instruction error
Summary
The Selectboard confirmed John Phelps and Rob Viglas as elected to the 1-year Selectboard seats after discovering a ballot instruction error; the town attorney cited 17 V.S.A. § 2682(c) to declare the top vote-getters elected and oaths were signed.
The Sandgate Selectboard confirmed the winners of a contested one-year Selectboard race after identifying an error on the ballot that could have confused voters.
At the March 4, 2026 meeting, the board said the printed instruction for the Selectboard 1-year term told voters to make three choices when only two seats were available. Jessica Lewis Stevens told the board she had contacted the Elections Division at the Secretary of State’s Office, which advised consulting the town attorney for next steps.
Linda Schmidt reported that Town Attorney Merrill Bent directed the board to 17 V.S.A. § 2682(c). The statute states, “In a municipal election controlled by this subchapter, the person receiving the greatest number of votes for an office shall be declared elected to that office and a certificate of election need not be issued.” Citing that guidance, the Selectboard confirmed that John Phelps and Rob Viglas received the most votes for the two available one-year terms and treated them as elected.
Oaths of office for Jessica Pendleton, John Phelps and Rob Viglas were signed at the meeting.
Why it matters: Ballot instructions that conflict with the number of available seats can create voter confusion and trigger legal review; the board documented the error and the legal basis for confirming results to preserve the election’s official record.
The board did not record a formal contest or a different remedy; instead, it applied the cited statute and proceeded with swearing in. The Selectboard’s next meeting is scheduled for March 16 at 6 p.m. at Sandgate Town Hall.
