Riley Robinson

Reproductive rights question passes in every town throughout Vermont

Organizers of the state constitutional amendment look next toward protections for abortion patients in Vermont who hail from states with prohibitions

In every Vermont town, a majority of voters on Nov. 8 supported Proposal 5, the measure that wrote reproductive liberties into the Vermont Constitution.

Results from the Vermont Secretary of State's Office show the campaign for Proposal 5, also known as Article 22, succeeded in building a sweeping coalition of support, far beyond liberal Chittenden County and the state's more-populous, deep-blue downtowns.

Overall, the measure prevailed by a vote of 77% to 23%. And virtually every corner of the state delivered a decisive victory for Prop 5, including typically conservative strongholds and villages with just a few dozen voters.

In Lowell, the Northeast Kingdom town that has reported the least support for Prop 5, a majority of voters still backed it. Of the 350 voters who cast ballots in the town, 51% approved of the measure, while 48% opposed it.

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Brattleboro youth voting charter change passes Senate

Spokesperson signals that governor will veto the legislation to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in municipal elections

After recent spirited debate, the state Senate gave preliminary approval to a Brattleboro charter change that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in municipal elections. That change also would allow youth voters to run and serve as town meeting representatives and on the Selectboard. The vote was 20–9.

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