BRATTLEBORO — With less than a week to go before Election Day on Nov. 8, the election season in Vermont has been relatively tranquil, compared to other states.
A number of statewide races in Vermont are contested, and in the state House and Senate races, Republicans and some unaffiliated candidates have mounted challenges to Democratic incumbents.
Two proposed amendments to the Vermont Constitution also appear on this year's ballot.
Here's who and what will be on your ballot in Windham County on Nov. 8:
Constitutional amendments
• Proposal 2 asks voters to consider changing the wording of Article 1, Chapter 1 of the Vermont Constitution to read as follows: “That all persons are born equally free and independent, and have certain natural, inherent, and unalienable rights, amongst which are the enjoying and defending life and liberty, acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety; slavery and indentured servitude in any form are prohibited.”
A Yes vote would delete language in Article 1 that “no person born in this country, or brought from over sea, ought to be holden by law, to serve any person as a servant, slave or apprentice, after arriving to the age of twenty-one years, unless bound by the person's own consent, after arriving to such age, or bound by law for the payment of debts, damages, fines, costs, or the like.' A No vote would leave this language in Article 1.
Vermont is one of several states around the country that are seeking to overturn this exemption from their state's constitutions.
• Proposal 5 (also known as Article 22, the Reproductive Liberty Amendment), would ask voters to amend the Vermont Constitution by adding Article 22 to read as follows: “That an individual's right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one's own life course and shall not be denied or infringed unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”
Supporters say that while the Vermont Legislature passed Act 47 in 2019, which protects the right to choose or refuse abortion and other forms of reproductive care in Vermont, a future legislature could easily reverse that law. The proposed amendment would solidify those protections.
Opponents say the language of the amendment is too broad and could lead to unintended consequences.
Vermont, along with Michigan and California, are the three states that are voting this Election Day on constitutional amendments that would make explicit the right to abortion.
U.S. House and Senate
• Eight candidates are running for the U.S. Senate seat that became open with the retirement of longtime Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy earlier this year.
Current U.S. Rep. Peter Welch of Richmond is the Democratic nominee, while retired Army officer Gerald Malloy of Weathersfield is the Republican nominee.
Also running are Natasha Diamondstone-Kohout of Dummerston of the Green Mountain (formerly Liberty Union) Party, and independents Mark Coester of Westminster, Stephen Duke of Calais, Dawn Marie Ellis of Burlington, Cris Ericson of Chester, and Kerry Patrick Raheb of Shelburne. Coester is also running for state Senate from Windham County.
• Six candidates are running for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Welch. Senate President Pro Tem Becca Balint of Brattleboro is the Democratic nominee, while Liam Madden of Rockingham is the Republican nominee.
Also running are Ericka Redic of Burlington, representing the Libertarian Party, and independents Matt Druzba of South Burlington, Adam Ortiz of Rutland City, and Luke Talbot of Island Pond.
Statewide offices
• Republican incumbent Phil Scott is running for his fourth two-year term as governor.
He is being challenged by Brenda Siegel of Newfane, who is running as the nominee of both the Democratic and Progressive parties, and independents Peter Duval of Underhill, Kevin Hoyt of Bennington, and Bernard Peters of Irasberg.
• It's a three-person race for lieutenant governor, a post that became open after current Lt. Gov. Molly Gray made an unsuccessful run for the U.S. House.
Former Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman of South Burlington is running as the nominee of both the Democratic and Progressive parties, while state Sen. Joe Benning of Lyndonville is the Republican nominee and Ian G. Diamondstone of Putney is running as the Green Mountain Party candidate.
• With the retirement of current Secretary of State Jim Condos, two candidates are running to succeed him: longtime state Rep. Sarah Copeland Hanzas of Bradford, the Democratic nominee, and perennial Republican candidate H. Brooke Paige of Washington.
• Paige is also running for state treasurer, a post that became open with the decision earlier this year of current Treasurer Beth Pearce not to seek another term. Mike Pieciak of Brattleboro, the former head of the state Department of Financial Regulation, is the Democratic nominee.
• The attorney general post also became open with the resignation of T.J. Donovan earlier this year. Acting Attorney General Charity R. Clark is running as the Democratic nominee, while Michael Tagliavia of Corinth is the Republican nominee.
• Incumbent State Auditor Doug Hoffer, running as the nominee of both the Democratic and Progressive parties, faces Republican candidate Richard “Rick” Morton of Brattleboro, the current chair of the Windham County Republican Committee, who is also running for state Senate.
County Senate races
• Six candidates are in the race for the two Windham County Senate seats that opened when Balint launched her U.S. House campaign and Jeanette White, D-Putney, announced her retirement.
Running as Republicans are Rick Morton and Richard “Rick” Kenyon, both of Brattleboro.
Former state Rep. Nader Hashim of Dummerston and Wendy Harrison of Brattleboro, the former town administrator of Vernon and Rockingham, are the Democratic standard bearers.
Running as independents are Coester, a Westminster logger, and Brattleboro Selectboard member Tim Wessel.
• Wilmington and Londonderry are no longer in the Windham County Senate district. Voters in those two towns now join the Bennington County district, where incumbents Dick Sears of Bennington, who was nominated by both the Democrats and Republicans, and independent Brian Campion of Bennington are running unopposed.
County House races
• In the Windham-1 district of Guilford and Vernon, incumbent Sara Coffey, D-Guilford, will face Republican Nancy Gassett of Vernon.
• It will be a battle of independents in the newly created Windham-2 district of Dover, Wardsboro, Somerset, Jamaica, and Stratton, with incumbent Laura Sibilia of West Dover against challenger George Wilson of Wardsboro.
• Windham-3, the newly created two-seat district that contains Brookline, Rockingham, and Westminster, has the most crowded field. First-term incumbents Leslie Goldman, D-Rockingam, and Michelle Bos-Lun, D-Westminster, face three challengers - Republicans Tyler Austin and Bonnie Depino of Westminster, and independent Ryan Coyne of Rockingham.
• Bos-Lun was reassigned to Windham-3 during this year's redistricting. Her former district, Windham 4, now consists of one seat representing Dummerston and Putney. Incumbent Mike Mrowicki, D-Putney, is facing Republican Lynn Kuralt of Dummerston.
• Incumbent Emily Long, D-Newfane, is unopposed in Windham-5, which consists of Newfane, Townshend, and Marlboro.
• With the retirement of Windham-6 Rep. John Gannon, D-Wilmington, there are two candidates running for the open seat - Democrat Tristan D. Roberts of Halifax and Republican John A. Lyddy of Whitingham. The district covers Wilmington, Whitingham, and Halifax.
• Brattleboro's three Democratic incumbents - Mollie Burke, Emilie Kornheiser, and Tristan Toleno - are all running for re-election in their respective newly-re-numbered districts.
Republican Terry Martin is challenging Kornheiser in Windham-7, while Rikki Risatti is running as a Republican against Burke in Windham-8. Toleno is unopposed in Windham-9.
• Independent incumbent Rep. Kelly Pajala of Londonderry is unopposed in the Windham-Windsor-Bennington district of Andover, Weston, Londonderry, and Winhall.
• In the newly-created Windsor-Windham district of Athens, Chester, Grafton, and Windham, two Chester residents are seeking the seat: Democrat Heather Chase and Republican Eva Ryan.
Other county offices
• Three candidates are running for the two county assistant judgeships: incumbent Democrat Lamont Barnett of Rockingham, state Rep. Carolyn Partridge, D-Windham, who is retiring from the House at the end of the current biennium, and independent Mildred ”Millie” Barry of Westminster.
One of the two seats became open after the resignation of Patricia Duff of Brattleboro, a Democrat, over the summer.
• Running unopposed are State's Attorney Tracy Kelly Shriver of Brattleboro, Sheriff Mark R. Anderson of Brattleboro, Probate Judge Jodi P. French of Newfane, and High Bailiff Angela Lawrence of Dummerston - all Democrats.
Voting early, and correctly
As was the case in the 2020 election, the Secretary of State's office mailed ballots to every registered voter in Vermont. As of late last week, Condos said that more than 100,000 Vermonters have taken advantage of early voting.
Voters have the option of either mailing their ballots back to their town clerk, dropping them off at the town clerk's office or a designated drop box in town, or taking them to their polling place on Election Day.
Condos warned against mailing a ballot this week, since there is no guarantee that the ballots will arrive to town clerks before the 7 p.m. closing time for Vermont's polling places on Election Day.
He said voters who have put off filling out their ballots should plan to hand deliver them to their town clerk before Nov. 8.
Brattleboro Town Clerk Hilary Francis also advised voters to make sure they correctly follow directions for early voting.
She said this means following the instructions on the ballot, using a black pen to fill out the document (no pencils or markers should be used), making sure you sign and date the certificate envelope, and making sure the ballot is inside that envelope.
Voting for all three districts in Brattleboro will take place for 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at American Legion Post 5, 32 Linden St. Masks are not required, but will be provided for those who wish to use them. Hand sanitizer and gloves will also be provided. Parking will be available at the Legion as well as behind the nearby Municipal Center.
Francis said unofficial election results will be posted as soon as possible after the polls close on brattleboro.org. The official results will not be available until they are certified by the Secretary of State's office a week after the election.
In other towns
In-person voting for the Vermont statewide general election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 8, with polls opening no later than 10 a.m. All polling locations close at 7 p.m.
• Athens: 10 a.m., Athens Town Office (25 Brookline Rd.)
• Brookline: 9 a.m., Brookline Town Offices (734 Grassy Brook Rd.)
• Dover: 7 a.m., Town Hall (189 Taft Brook Rd., East Dover)
• Dummerston: 8 a.m., Dummerston Congregational Church (1535 Middle Rd.)
• Grafton: 9 a.m., Grafton Town Hall (117 Main St.)
• Guilford: 10 a.m., Broad Brook Community Center (3940 Guilford Center Rd.)
• Halifax: 10 a.m., Halifax Community Hall (20 Brook Rd.)
• Jamaica: 9 a.m., Jamaica Town Office (28 Town Office Rd.)
• Londonderry: 7 a.m., Town Office Twitchell Building (100 Old School St.)
• Marlboro: 9 a.m., Marlboro Town House (13 Town Hill Rd.)
• Newfane: 9 a.m., Newbrook Fire Station (698 VT Route 30)
• Putney: 10 a.m., Putney Fire Station (21 Carl Snyder Dr.)
• Rockingham: 8 a.m., Masonic Temple (61 Westminster Street, Bellows Falls)
• Stratton: 10 a.m., Stratton Town Office (9 W. Jamaica Rd.)
• Townshend: 8 a.m., Townshend Town Hall (2006 VT Route 30)
• Vernon: 7 a.m., Vernon Town Hall (downstairs) (567 Governor Hunt Rd.)
• Wardsboro: 9 a.m., Town Hall (71 Main St.)
• Westminster: 10 a.m., Westminster Fire Station (103 Grout Ave.)
• Whitingham: 10 a.m., Whitingham Municipal Center (2948 VT Route 100)
• Wilmington: 7 a.m., The Old School Community Center (1 School St.)
• Windham: 10 a.m., Windham Meeting House (26 Harrington Rd.)
In the meantime, early and absentee voting in Vermont remains underway. All registered voters in the state should have received a ballot in the mail. If you did not receive your ballot, contact your town clerk. Contact information for all town clerks in the state can be downloaded as an Excel file.