Friday, August 14, 2020
So did the number of people who completely botched it.
Of the approximately 174,000 people who cast ballots in the August 11 primary, preliminary figures suggest that more than 6,000 screwed up the process badly enough that their votes weren't counted.
“It’s a concern that we had 6,000 votes that were not counted for one reason or another,” Secretary of State Jim Condos said Friday. “It would be wrong if I just sat back and said, 'That’s acceptable.'”
Tags: primary , ballots , defective , Jim Condos , secretary of state , Vermont , mail-in voting , absentee ballots , Web Only , Image
"Gee, I don't know. I don't know what to tell you," he said when asked whether such an endorsement was in the offing. "I support all Republicans in the 2020 election, and that includes Phil Scott." He added, "I don't always endorse all his policies. You can say that. But I do endorse him as our candidate. I do."
Less than a week before the primary, Klar filed as an independent candidate for governor. He told Seven Days earlier this week he had not decided whether he would actually pursue such a bid but wanted to keep the option open should he lose the primary. Candidates have up to 10 days afterward to withdraw.
Tags: election , Election 2020 , governor , Governor's Race , John Klar , Phil Scott , Vermont , Web Only , Image
June Heston, a nonprofit consultant from Richmond in her first-ever political race, told Seven Days she filed her request with the Chittenden Superior Court on Friday afternoon.
"This is the first time that we've had such a large number of mail-in ballots," Heston said in a phone interview, referring to the record number of absentee votes sent in for Tuesday’s primary election. "I feel that I owe it to my supporters — with such a tight margin — to ensure that we are being responsible and following through with the democratic process."
Tags: June Heston , recount , Chittenden Senate district , Chris Pearson , Web Only , Image
Thursday, August 13, 2020
While the theme of the Vermont Democratic Party's postprimary press conference was "unity," the Dems made clear that their olive branch would not be extended to one person in particular: Gov. Phil Scott.
"Our current governor may be a nice guy," said Brenda Siegel, who finished third in the lieutenant governor primary. "But his veto pen is not. He has vetoed bill after bill and issue after issue that would have helped my family and families all across Vermont."
Tags: David Zuckerman , Election 2020 , Governor's Race , Lieutenant Governor's Race , Molly Gray , Tim Ashe , Vermont Democratic Party , Web Only , Image
Wednesday, August 12, 2020
Unofficial results from the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office show that 170,586 people voted in the primary election, a 39 percent higher turnout than the recent primary record of 122,437 set in 2000.
The remarkable showing suggests that the circumstances surrounding this election cycle — an unprecedented health and economic crisis, nationwide protests for criminal justice reforms, and a presidential race featuring one of the most polarizing figures in modern history — have gotten the attention of the electorate.
Another possible explanation: It was easier to vote.
“The easier you make it for people to participate, the more participation you have,” explained Deb Markowitz, who was Vermont’s secretary of state from 1999 to 2010.
Tags: Absentee Ballots , Election 2020 , November , Record , Vermont primary , Voting , Web Only , Image , Video
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, a veteran Progressive politician, claimed Vermont’s Democratic gubernatorial nomination on Tuesday, besting former education secretary Rebecca Holcombe. In this fall’s general election, he’ll take on two-term Republican Gov. Phil Scott, who easily outdistanced conservative challenger John Klar and three others to win the GOP nomination.
In the upset of the evening, first-time candidate Molly Gray defeated Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe (D/P-Chittenden), activist Brenda Siegel and Sen. Debbie Ingram (D-Chittenden) to win the Democratic nomination for the open lieutenant governor’s seat. Scott Milne, a former GOP nominee for governor and the U.S. Senate, prevailed over Meg Hansen and three others for the Republican nomination for LG.
Though the election was conducted in the middle of a global pandemic, Vermont appeared to have “shattered” the previous record for voter turnout in a state primary, the Secretary of State’s Office wrote Tuesday night on Twitter. Even before Election Day, more than 110,000 people had cast their vote — taking advantage of a new system that encouraged Vermonters to request absentee ballots. Early results suggested that more than 160,000 people voted this time around, well more than the recent record of 122,437 set in the 2000 primary.
Tags: Primary , David Zuckerman , Rebecca Holcombe , Pat Winburn , Phil Scott , John Klar , Molly Gray , Tim Ashe , Brenda Siegel , Debbie Ingram , Scott Milne , Meg Hansen , Web Only , Video , Image
Three people — the maximum allowed for social distancing — were filling out ballots already, so three waited in the blazing sun.
"It's been steady," Lawrence said.
Vermonters largely heeded requests by elections officials to vote by mail to protect poll workers and their fellow residents from the coronavirus, keeping lines, when they formed, short. But the push for mail-in voting and a high level of interest this year were expected to lift voting turnout to a record high for a primary. Municipal clerks had received at least 110,022 ballots by Monday afternoon, more than the 107,637 votes cast in the entire 2018 primary election, according to the Secretary of State's Office.
Lawrence said she’d already received and tabulated 1,200 absentee ballots — far more than the 988 total votes cast by any means in the 2018 primary. Judging by the in-person turnout, the total voting in town seemed likely to also eclipse the 2016 presidential primary peak of 1,452 votes cast.
Tags: voting , primary , election , mail-in ballot , Web Only , Image
Monday, August 10, 2020
By mid-afternoon Monday, according to the Secretary of State's Office, municipal clerks had received at least 110,022 ballots. That's more than the 107,637 votes cast in the entire 2018 primary election. With absentee ballots still trickling in — and a full day of conventional, in-person voting scheduled for Tuesday — final voter turnout numbers are likely to grow.
"I'm excited by the amount of the turnout so far," Secretary of State Jim Condos told reporters Monday morning.
According to records provided by Condos' office, turnout this year has already surpassed that of all but two primary elections in the past 25 years. In the year 2000 — the first election after the state recognized civil unions for same-sex couples — 122,437 Vermonters voted in the state primary. In 2016, when there were open races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, 120,132 Vermonters voted in the primary.
"I would suspect we could break that [record], but I'm not gonna go out on a limb and say to you that we will," Condos said.
Tags: Jim Condos , Vermont , elections , voting , primary , Web Only , Image
Klar and the Vermont Secretary of State's Office confirmed on Monday that he filed paperwork last week to run for governor this fall as an independent. VTDigger.org first reported the news.
Klar said he has not yet decided whether to pursue an independent bid but wanted to retain the right to do so. Independents are required by law to file for public office prior to the primary election. They may withdraw from the race and remove their names from the ballot up to 10 days after the primary.
"No decision has been made," Klar said.
Tags: David Zuckerman , Election 2020 , Governor's Race , John Klar , Phil Scott , Web Only , Image
Friday, August 7, 2020
A candidate running to represent Winooski in the Vermont House is in legal trouble following his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence last month.
Jordan Matte, 32, had a court date on Thursday for a civil license suspension tied to his July 19 arrest in Winooski. Matte, the husband of Winooski Mayor Kristine Lott, is one of three candidates on the ballot in the August 11 Democratic primary.
He’s vying for one of two seats representing the Chittenden 6-7 district, which includes Winooski and a small part of northeast Burlington.
The other two primary candidates are incumbent Hal Colston (D-Winooski) and Taylor Small, the director of health and wellness at the Pride Center of Vermont in Burlington. Diana Gonzalez (P-Winooski) opted not to run for reelection.
Tags: DUI , Winooski , Jordan Matte , House of Representative , Sarah George , Web Only , Image