secretary of state

Secretary of State Virtual Forum on Ranked Choice Voting 05/08/2024

From the Secretary of State's Office:

Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas announced a two-part series of virtual forums which her office will co-host with the League of Women Voters of Vermont (LWVVT) to discuss Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). As interest has grown in RCV, in the state legislature and among municipalities, interest groups and voters, the Secretary and LWVVT hope these discussions will inform the debate and raise the profile of this system of voting.

The second forum will take place on Wednesday, May 8th, from 7:00-8:30pm on Zoom. This session will dive into the details of administering RCV elections in Vermont, featuring Burlington Assistant City Clerk Sarah Montgomery and Brattleboro Town Clerk Hilary Francis.

The Vermont Secretary of State and the League of Women Voters will be promoting the forums in the coming weeks.

Secretary of State Virtual Forum on Ranked Choice Voting 05/01/2024

From the Secretary of State's Office:

The first forum is scheduled for Wednesday, May 1st, from 7:00-8:30pm on Zoom. This session will offer an overview of Ranked Choice Voting, covering key concepts and presenting a simulation for participants to engage in to better understand what RCV is and how it works. Experts from the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center will guide the session.

The Vermont Secretary of State and the League of Women Voters will be promoting the forums in the coming weeks.

The News Project: In Studio - Youth Civic Engagement 02/01/2024

From GNAT-TV:

Andrew McKeever of GNAT-TV and Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas discuss the critical importance of civic engagement with local recipients of the John Lewis Youth Leadership award, Chris Alfano and Addie Lentzner.

Interview with Robyn Palmer 05/04/2023

Host Bobby Lussier interviews Robyn Palmer, the new Education and Civic Engagement Coordinator for the Secretary of State's Office to discuss her new role and efforts to advance civic education across the state.

The News Project: In Studio - Civics, Voting, and New Initiatives 04/13/2023

From GNAT-TV:

Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas discusses civic education, voting and more with us in a wide ranging conversation.

Service Rendered: Straight Talk Vermont - Jim Condos 04/04/2023

Host Bruce Wilson, Executive Director of Service Rendered, is joined by Former Vermont Secretary of State, Jim Condos.

Secretary of State Pre-Primary Informational Event 08/02/2022

Secretary of State Jim Condos meets with media to discuss the 2022 Primary. Topics include early voting, ballot processing, polling place procedure, in-person voting, redistricting, unofficial election night results, and the certification of official results and winners.

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos Announces Retirement 02/15/2022

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos announces he will not be seeking re-election and will retire at the end of his term as Vermont’s 38th Secretary of State.

Abridged statement from Sec. Condos:

"Over the last 35 years, it has been my great honor to serve the people of Vermont as a public servant:

As Vermont’s Secretary of State for the last 12-years;
Before that, as an 8-year Chittenden County State Senator;
And, As an 18-year South Burlington City Council member.

During these many years as a public official, I have worked hard to serve Vermont’s citizens in a professional and dutiful manner, always striving to make our government more efficient, accessible, and transparent for all Vermonters.

While I have enjoyed this job every day, I am looking forward to the next chapter in my life starting in January, after my term concludes.

I want to thank all Vermonters for your support, and for the privilege of allowing me to serve you during my 35+ years of elected public service.

It has been the honor of my lifetime, and I am grateful to have been provided the opportunity to help protect, defend, and expand our democracy.

Thank you, stay safe, be well, and please, do your part to keep our State a welcoming and respectful place for all Vermonters.”

To the Towns! Update on Legislative Redistricting: Interview with Tom Little of the Vermont Apportionment Board 10/20/2021

The Vermont Apportionment Board has developed new Legislative District Maps which are now being considered by local cities and towns. You are encouraged to review these maps and let your local Board's of Civil Authorities (Selectboards/ City Councils) know if you think they've got it right. What is more important: making sure the populations in each district are as close to equal as possible, or allowing larger (within constitutional guidelines) differences in populations to maintain district lines closer to the status quo?

- Should your legislative district lines conform to town and/ or county boundary lines?

- Do you prefer single member house districts (one representative per a House district of around 4,300) or two member districts (two representatives in a single house district of around 8,600 people)?

- Do you prefer single member senate districts (one senator per senate district of around 21,500 people), or multi-member senate districts (two or three senators in a single district of around 43,000 or 64,500 people)?

Let your BCA and Legislative Apportionment Board know your views on these questions and on other factors you wish them to consider as they draw up proposed legislative district lines by emailing Board members at their addresses posted on the Board’s website (sos.vermont.gov/apportionment-board/contact-the-board), participating in monthly online meetings (sos.vermont.gov/apportionment-board), or mailing a letter c/o the Secretary of State’s office (Legislative Apportionment Board, 128 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05633-1101).

This is a critical exercise in our representative democracy. It happens only every 10 years – don’t miss out on it!

Weigh In on Legislative Redistricting: Interview with Tom Little of the Vermont Apportionment Board (PSA Version) 07/31/2021

PSA Version: Tom Little, Special Master of the Vermont Apportionment Board, explains why Legislative Redistricting is important and how the public can influence the distribution of House and Senate candidates and districts across Vermont.

With the delay of the 2020 U.S. Census data, the Apportionment Board must work fast to develop legislative district maps for local leaders to respond to and submit final recommendations to the Legislature for approval in early 2022.

The public is asked to weigh in on key questions:

- What is more important: making sure the populations in each district are as close to equal as possible, or allowing larger (within constitutional guidelines) differences in populations to maintain district lines closer to the status quo?

- Should your legislative district lines conform to town and/ or county boundary lines?

Let the Legislative Apportionment Board know your views on these questions and on other factors you wish them to consider as they draw up proposed legislative district lines by emailing Board members at their addresses posted on the Board’s website (sos.vermont.gov/apportionment-board/contact-the-board), participating in monthly online meetings (sos.vermont.gov/apportionment-board), or mailing a letter c/o the Secretary of State’s office (Legislative Apportionment Board, 128 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05633-1101).

This is a critical exercise in our representative democracy. It happens only every 10 years – don’t miss out on it!

Featured Story

CCTV Receives NEH Grant to Support Community Archives

CCTV Center for Media & Democracy is pleased to announce receipt of a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Humanities Collections and Reference Resources grant alongside 32 peer archival institutions across the country. This $49,927 grant award will support efforts to preserve and expand access to audio/visual community history materials in the CCTV Archives. Read more about this opportunity here!