VERMONT
Requirements to vote:
18 years old on or by Election Day.
US citizen.
Resident of Vermont and the town in which you apply.
Have taken the Voter’s Oath. You only have to take this once in your lifetime.
How do I register?
In the state of Vermont, you can register to vote online, via mail, or in person.
To register online, go tp http://olvr.sec.state.vt.us/. If you are registering to vote for the first time, you must provide a photocopy of a valid ID. Acceptable forms include a valid photo ID (driver’s license or passport), a current utility bill, a current bank statement, or another government document containing your residential address.
There is no deadline to register to vote online, but if you register the day before or on Election Day, your name may not appear on the checklist, and you may be asked to fill out another registration when you go to the polls to vote. To ensure that your name is on the checklist, you should register by the Friday before Election Day.
To register via mail, fill out a voter registration form at https://www.sec.state.vt.us/media/33935/2017-voter-app.pdf and mail it to your country clerk. If you are registering to vote for the first time, you must provide a photocopy of a valid ID. Acceptable forms include a valid photo ID (driver’s license or passport), a current utility bill, a current bank statement, or another government document containing your residential address.
There is no deadline to register via mail, but your form may not arrive in time, so if Election Day is coming up soon, you should register in person.
To register to vote in person, go to your county clerk’s office. You will also have the opportunity to register to vote or update your address at your DMV when you register your car, get a driver’s license, or renew your registration/license.
There is no deadline to register to vote in person, but if you register the day before or on Election Day, your name may not appear on the checklist, and you may be asked to fill out another registration when you go to the polls to vote. To ensure that your name is on the checklist, you should register by the Friday before Election Day.
You do not have to declare a party affiliation, but if you would like to vote in the Primary, you can only vote on one ballot.
If you have legally changed your name or moved to a new address, you must notify your town or city clerk immediately so that they can update your file. You can also update your registration at https://olvr.sec.state.vt.us/
If you have previously voted in Vermont, you do not need to take the voter’s oath again. If not, the oath can be administered by a town clerk, justice of the peace, notary public, commissioned military officer, any person over the age of 18, or by yourself. If you do not take oaths, you may take it as an affirmation. The person who administered the oath, or you, if you are attesting for yourself that you have taken the oath, must date and sign the attestation in the box on the application form.
If you are incarcerated for a felony, you can still vote, but you must register in the town in which you resided prior to being convicted.
If you do not want your name to be on the checklist due to domestic violence, sexual abuse, or stalking, Vermont provides a Safe at Home program that allows anonymity to an applicant. You would be granted the use of a Montpelier post office box address, where first-class mail and service of process would be sent and forwarded, at no cost, to your actual address. You can apply for the program at a local domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking program office or through a statewide victim advocate office.
If you are living in a retirement community, you can either remain on the voting checklist for the town in which you previously resided, or you can register to vote at the address of the facility.
If you are homeless, you can register to vote in the district in the town that you consider to be your principal dwelling.
Can I pre-register?
You can pre-register at any age, so long as you’ll be 18 on or by the next General Election date. Since you can only take the Voter’s Oath once you have turned 18, you should leave the oath section blank and take it at the polling place on Election Day. Your registration will become active once you turn 18.
You can also vote in the Primary if you’re 17 years old as long as you’ll be 18 by the General Election.