Update on the elections bill

A few months ago we called on you to contact your state representative to voice opposition to H.429 - the Elections Bill - when it was up for a vote in the Vermont House. We were humbled by the hundreds of Vermonters who answered the call. As a result of your calls, our House Progressive Caucus was able  to remove some of the worst language in the bill. Your calls also sent a clear message that Vermonters do not support more money in Vermont politics or changing the rules to concentrate power in establishment parties. 

The bill that eventually passed out of the Vermont House was opposed by a tripartisan coalition including some Democrats, all of the Republicans, all of the Progressives, and some independents. Despite the improvements, it is still incredibly problematic for our democracy and must be defeated. We know that our democratic institutions and election system is the foundation upon which all other issues are able to move forward. Simply put, we will never address the housing crisis, climate change, or any other issue to improve the lives of working class Vermonters if the wealthy and well connected are able to change our elections system to give themselves more political power.analysis of the House-passed bill is

After H.429 passed through the Vermont House, the bill went to the Senate Committee on Government Operations, which has spent the last few weeks taking testimony. Many individuals and organizations such as VPIRG, The VPP, and others have continued to speak out against the bill in its current form, and we continue to have an impact. 

That said, powerful interests continue to push hard for this bill, and we have heard that positive reforms like the Ranked Choice Voting bill are being held hostage as leverage to force through the undemocratic reforms in H.429.

We expect a Senate vote as soon as this Wednesday. We can stop it in its tracks IF you take a few moments to contact Senators White, Clarkson, Norris, and Watson and ask them to vote no. They could be one of the champions we need to protect our elections system, but they need to hear from their constituents - you. Can you

  1. Send them an email right now to ask them to vote no on H.429.

  2. Call the Sergeant at Arms on Tuesday to ask them to vote no on H.429. The number for the Sergeant at Arms is 802-828-2228. Their office opens at 8am on Tuesday morning.

Please let them know that you oppose H.429 because it:

  1. Allows for more money in our political system by raising campaign contribution limits from political candidates to political parties from $10,000 to $60,000.

  2. Limits choice for voters by preventing candidates who lose a major party nomination from appearing on the general election ballot, even if they win the nomination of another political party.

  3. Unfairly dictates the process for independents by requiring them to file to run in the general election before the winners of the primary election are known. 

  4. Exposes candidates to potential harassment and scrutiny based on their identity by allowing individual candidate demographic information to be discoverable to the public. 

Afterwards, Please let us know that you contacted your Senator and how they responded by reporting the result here.

Thank you so much for all you have already done to protect our democracy. We would not have come this far without you. 

P.S. None of our candidates are able to contibute $60,000 to the Progressive Party, so we are reliant on people like you to fund our movement. Please chip in whatever you can so we can continue to support progressive action in the State House.

stop undemocratic election reform in vermont

If passed H. 429 (formerly h.97) will:

  • Eliminate the ability of a candidate to run as a candidate of a political party after losing a different political party’s primary.

  • Eliminate the ability of a candidate to run on a general election ballot after losing a primary election for a party nomination, even if the candidate wins the endorsement of another political party or wants to run as an independent candidate.

  • raise the limits for any contribution made between a political party and candidate from $10,000 to $60,000

Progressives stand for
eliminating barriers
not creating them
strengthening democracy
not weakening it
more choice, not less