Vermont § 2145b - Voter registration agencies

§ 2145b. Voter registration agencies

• (a) Each voter registration agency shall: (1) distribute voter registration application forms approved under section 2145 of this title; (2) assist applicants in completing voter registration application forms, unless the applicant
  refuses such assistance; and (3) accept completed voter registration applications and transmit completed applications
  to the Secretary of State not later than 10 days after the date of acceptance, or
  before the date of any primary or general election, whichever is sooner. (b) The Secretary shall promptly transmit applications received under this section to
  the clerks of the appropriate municipalities. (c)(1) A voter registration agency shall provide each applicant who does not decline to register
  to vote the same degree of assistance with regard to the completion of the voter registration
  application that the office provides with regard to the completion of its own forms,
  unless the applicant refuses such assistance. (2) If an agency provides services to a person with a disability at the person’s home,
  the agency shall provide the services described in subsection (a) of this section
  at the person’s home. (d) Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, a voter registration agency
  that provides services or assistance in addition to conducting voter registration
  shall distribute a voter registration application with each application for the services
  or assistance provided by the agency, and with each recertification, renewal, or change
  of address form relating to those services or assistance. In addition to the voter
  registration application form, the agency shall distribute a separate form that includes
  the following: (1) The question, “If you are not registered to vote where you live now, would you like
  to apply to register to vote here today?” (2) In the case of an agency that provides public assistance, the statement, “Applying
  to register or declining to register to vote will not affect the amount of assistance
  that you will be provided by this agency.” (3) Boxes for the applicant to check to indicate whether the applicant would like to register
  or declines to register to vote, together with the statement, “IF YOU DO NOT CHECK
  EITHER BOX, YOU WILL BE CONSIDERED TO HAVE DECIDED NOT TO REGISTER TO VOTE AT THIS
  TIME.” (4) The statement, “If you would like help in filling out the voter registration application
  form, we will help you. The decision whether to seek or accept help is yours. You
  may fill out the application form in private.” (5) The statement, “If you believe that someone has interfered with your right to register
  or to decline to register to vote, you may file a complaint with the Secretary of
  State (Secretary of State’s office address and telephone number).” (e) The Secretary of State may designate voter registration agencies that shall provide
  qualified applicants for such agency’s services, or qualified inmates within the custody
  of the Department of Corrections, with automatic voter registration as an integrated
  option on application forms for services provided by those agencies. (1) Such designations shall be limited to a voter registration agency or a specific program
  administered by such an agency: (A) that, in the regular course of the agency’s or program’s business, already collects
  and verifies documents necessary to provide proof of an individual’s eligibility to
  vote under subchapter 1 of this chapter; and (B) whose secretary, commissioner, or other applicable head of the agency has approved
  of such designation. (2) A voter registration agency shall not collect data necessary to establish an individual’s
  eligibility to vote solely for the purpose of being designated an automatic voter
  registration agency under this subsection. (3) On or before January 1 of each year, the Secretary shall, in accordance with the approval
  given by a voter registration agency’s secretary, commissioner, or other head: (A) publish on his or her official website a list of voter registration agencies designated
  under this subsection; (B) specify which programs or services offered by each agency are included within the
  designation; and (C) provide the date by which the agency’s specified programs or services will comply
  with requirements of this subsection. (4) Beginning on the date by which a voter registration agency’s specified programs or
  services will comply with requirements of this subsection, an application for those
  services and any change of address form related to those services provided by the
  agency shall request the following information in a form approved by the Secretary
  of State: (A) The applicant’s citizenship. (B) The applicant’s date of birth. (C) The applicant’s town of legal residence. (D) The applicant’s street address or a description of the physical location of the applicant’s
  residence. The description must contain sufficient information so that the town clerk
  can determine whether the applicant is a resident of the town. (E) The voter’s oath. (F) The applicant’s email address, which shall be optional to provide. (5) An application for a designated automatic voter registration agency’s services shall
  provide the following statements: (A) “By signing and submitting this application, you are authorizing this voter registration
  agency to transmit this application to the Secretary of State for voter registration
  purposes. YOU MAY DECLINE TO REGISTER. Both the office through which you submit this
  application and your decision of whether or not to register will remain confidential
  and will be used for voter registration purposes only.” (B) “In order to be registered to vote, you must: (1) be a U.S. citizen; (2) be a resident
  of Vermont; (3) have taken the voter’s oath; and (4) be 18 years of age or older.
  Any person meeting the requirements of (1)-(3) who will be 18 years of age on or before
  the date of a general election may register and vote in the primary election immediately
  preceding that general election. Failure to decline to register is an attestation
  that you meet the requirements to vote.” (6)(A) An application for a designated automatic voter registration agency’s services shall
  provide the penalties provided by law for submission of a false voter registration
  application and shall require the signature of the applicant, under penalty of perjury. (B) If a person who is ineligible to vote becomes registered to vote pursuant to this
  subsection in the absence of a violation of subsection 2145(f) of this chapter, that
  person’s registration shall be presumed to have been effected with official authorization
  and not the fault of that person. (f)(1) The Secretary of State shall have the authority to audit any voter registration agency
  to determine compliance with the requirements of this section and to require any voter
  registration agency to implement any remedial measures necessary to ensure compliance
  with this section. (2) The Secretary of Administration shall provide the Secretary of State any assistance
  that is necessary to ensure the cooperation of voter registration agencies in implementing
  any remedial measures the Secretary of State requires under this subsection. (Added 1997, No. 47, § 6; amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2015, No. 44, § 6, eff. Jan. 1, 2017; 2019, No. 67, § 7.)