Vermont Laws

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The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE
: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Title
17
Elections
Chapter
045
Political Parties
§ 2301. Organization of major political parties
A major political party shall organize biennially as provided in this chapter. A person
acting on behalf of a major political party shall not accept any contribution or make
any expenditure (except for the purpose of organizing under this chapter) unless the
party has a current certificate of organization on file with the Secretary of State. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
§ 2302. State chair to call caucus
(a) The chair of the State committee of a party shall set a date for members of the party
to meet in caucus in their respective towns. The date shall be between September 10
and September 30, inclusive, in each odd-numbered year.
(b) At least 14 days before the date set for the caucuses, the State chair shall mail
or electronically mail a notice of the date and purpose of the caucuses to each town
clerk and to each town and county chair of the party. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 63; 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
§ 2303. Town chair to give notice
(a) The town chair or, if unavailable or if the records of the Secretary of State show
there is no chair, any three voters of the town shall arrange to hold a caucus on
the day designated by the State chair, in some public place within the town and shall
set the hour of the caucus.
(b)(1) At least five days before the day of the caucus, the town chair shall post a notice
of the date, purpose, time, and place of the caucus in the town clerk’s office and
in at least one other public place in town.
(2) In towns of 5,000 or more population, he or she shall also publish the notice:
(A) in a newspaper having general circulation in the town; or
(B) in a nonpartisan electronic news media website or online forum that specializes in
news of the State or the community.
(c) If three voters arrange to call the caucus, the voters shall designate one person
among them to perform the duties prescribed in subsection (b) of this section for
the town chair. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1981, No. 239 (Adj. Sess.), § 13; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 64; 2017, No. 50, § 6; 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
§ 2304. Town caucus
(a)(1) At the time and place set for the town caucus, the voters of the party residing in
the town shall meet in caucus and proceed to elect a town committee, consisting of
such number of voters of the town as the caucus deems necessary, to serve during the
following two years or until their successors are elected or appointed.
(2) Additional members of a town committee may be elected by the town committee at any
meeting, and may be eligible to vote on matters before the town committee at that
meeting or at the next meeting, as determined by the members of the committee before
the election.
(b) The voter checklist used by the caucus shall be the most recent checklist approved
by the board of civil authority. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
§ 2305. First meeting of town committee
(a)(1) The first meeting of the town committee shall be held immediately following adjournment
of the caucus.
(2) At this meeting, members of the town committee shall elect committee officers and
delegates to the county committee.
(b) All officers and other members of the town committee and all delegates to the county
committee shall be voters of the town. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
§ 2306. Procedure upon failure to hold caucus
If the voters of the party residing in any town fail to hold a caucus on the day designated
by the State chair, any three or more voters of the party residing in the town may
call and hold a caucus at any time thereafter, in the manner provided in sections
2303 through 2305 of this title. Those voters calling the caucus shall designate one person among them to perform
the duties prescribed in section 2303 for the town chair. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
§ 2307. Certification of officers and county committee delegates
(a) Within 72 hours after the caucus, the chair and secretary of the town committee shall
submit to the chairs of the State and county committees a copy of the notice calling
the meeting and a certified list of the names, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and
emails of the officers and members of the town committee and of the delegates to the
county committee.
(b) A committee is not considered organized until a certificate of organization is filed
by the State committee with the Secretary of State pursuant to section 2313 of this
chapter.
(c) The Secretary of State shall furnish forms for this purpose to the chair of the State
committee of a political party. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 5; 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
§ 2308. Composition of county committee
(a) The number of delegates to the county committee that each town caucus is entitled
to elect shall be apportioned by the State committee, based upon the number of votes
cast for the party’s candidate for Governor in the last election, provided that each
town caucus shall be entitled to elect at least two delegates.
(b) Delegates to the county committee shall be voters of the town, but need not be members
of the town committee.
(c) Delegates shall serve for two years following their election or until their successors
are elected or appointed. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
§ 2309. First meeting of county committee
(a)(1) The chair of the State committee shall set a date for the first meeting of each county
committee.
(2) The State chair shall notify the chairs of the county committees of the date of the
meeting.
(3)(A) The chair of the county committee shall set the hour and place of the meeting and
shall notify all delegates-elect by mail or electronic mail not less than 10 days
prior to the meeting.
(B) If the chair of the county committee receives notice that a town committee within
the county has organized 10 or fewer days before the date of the first meeting of
the county committee, the chair shall notify the newly elected members within 48 hours
of receiving notice of the organized town committee.
(b)(1) At the time and place set for the meeting, the delegates shall proceed to elect their
officers and perfect an organization of the county committee for the ensuing two years.
(2) All officers and other members of the county committee and all delegates to the State
committee shall be voters of the county. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 65; 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
§ 2310. Election of State committee
(a)(1) The chair of the county committee shall be a member of the State committee.
(2) Each county committee shall be entitled to elect at least two additional members of
the State committee. These delegates need not be members of the county committee.
(3) If the rules or bylaws of a State committee provide for apportionment of additional
members of the State committee to come from the county, the county committee also
shall elect those additional members.
(b) All county committee members and officers and all persons elected to the State committee
shall be voters in the county from which they are elected.
(c) County committee members and delegates to the State committee shall serve for two
years following their election or until their successors are elected or appointed. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2007, No. 85 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Feb. 21, 2008; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 6; 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
§ 2311. Certification of county officers and State committee members
(a) Within 72 hours of the first meeting of the county committee, its chair and secretary
shall submit to the chair of the State committee a copy of the notice calling the
meeting and a certified list of the names, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and emails
of the officers of the county committee and of the members elected by the county committee
to the State committee.
(b) A committee is not considered organized until a certificate of organization is filed
by the State committee with the Secretary of State pursuant to section 2313 of this
chapter.
(c) The Secretary of State shall prescribe and furnish forms for this purpose. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1985, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 9; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 7; 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
§ 2312. First meeting of the State committee
(a) The chair of the State committee shall name an hour and place of meeting, at which
time the members-elect of the State committee shall meet and perfect an organization
of the State committee for the ensuing two years.
(b) The chair of the State committee shall notify all members-elect of the State committee
in writing, at least 10 days before the day set for the meeting. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
§ 2313. Filing of certificate of organization
(a)(1) Within 10 days after the first meeting of the State committee of a party, the chair
and secretary shall file in the office of the Secretary of State a certificate stating
that the party has completed its organization for the ensuing two years and has substantially
complied with the provisions of this chapter.
(2) However, no State committee shall be eligible to file a certificate of organization
unless it has town committees organized in at least 30 towns in this State and county
committees organized in at least seven counties by January 1 of the year of the general
election.
(b) The certificate of organization shall:
(1) set forth the names, mailing addresses, phone numbers, and emails of the officers
and members of the State committee, together with the counties that they represent;
(2) contain a listing of the towns and counties in which committees have organized;
(3) designate, in not more than three words, the name by which the party shall be identified
on any Australian ballot; and
(4) be accompanied by a copy of the notice calling the meeting.
(c) The Secretary of State shall prescribe and furnish the form to be used for this purpose.
(d) Upon receipt of a certificate of organization, the Secretary of State promptly shall
notify all persons who have registered with the Secretary of State asking to be notified
of such filings.
(e)(1) Within 10 days, the Secretary of State shall accept a certificate of organization
if it appears to be valid on its face or reject it if it is not.
(2) The Secretary of State may reject a certificate of organization if the political or
other name is not substantially different from the name of any organized political
party.
(3) When a certificate is rejected, the Secretary of State promptly shall notify the chair
and secretary of the committee to inform them in writing of the reasons for rejection.
(f) A committee is not considered organized until the material required by this section
has been filed and accepted. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1983, No. 90, § 3, eff. April 29, 1983; 2001, No. 5, § 16; 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 8; 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
§ 2314. Officers required
Every committee of a political party is required to elect a chair, a vice chair, a
secretary, and a treasurer, who need not be members of the committee at the time of
their election, but who become members, with full voting rights, upon their election.
A committee may also elect from among its members such other officers as it deems
appropriate to its work. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 9.)
§ 2315. Repealed. 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 10.
§ 2316. Repealed. 2019, No. 67, § 9.
§ 2317. Voters not to participate in more than one party
A voter shall not vote in a town, county, or State caucus of more than one party in
the same 12-month period, nor shall any voter simultaneously hold membership on the
committees of more than one political party. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 11; 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
§ 2318. Organization of minor political parties
A minor political party may organize in the manner set forth in this subchapter or
in another manner that its members deem appropriate. Minor political parties shall
comply with the filing requirements of sections 2307, 2311 to the extent applicable,
and 2313 of this chapter, except that they need not be organized in 30 towns or in
seven counties. They shall also comply with the procedural requirements of sections 2303 through 2306 and 2313 of this title, but need not comply with other procedural requirements in sections 2301, 2302, 2308 through 2310, and 2312 of this title. Minor political parties shall also comply with sections 2314 through 2317 of this title. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 12.)
§ 2319. Party conventions for platforms
On or before the fourth Tuesday in September in each even-numbered year, upon the
call of the chair of the State committee of the party, a party platform convention
of each organized political party shall be held to make and adopt the platform of
the party. (Added 1979, No. 198 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2019, No. 67, § 9.)
§ 2320. Repealed. 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 13.
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