Trending FAQs for Voters

Below is a short list of trending FAQs. For a full index of voter registration, early/absentee voting and election day FAQs, please click through to the corresponding page.

• How do I register to vote?
• How do I verify if I am registered to vote in Vermont?
• What is the deadline to register to vote?
• How do I get a voter registration form?
• How do I contact my town or city clerk?
• Am I eligible to vote in Vermont?
• Who is a resident for voting purposes?
• Can you be registered or vote in more than one town?
• Do I have to register as a Democrat, Republican, Independent or some other party in Vermont?
• Why does the voter registration form require a description of where my principal dwelling is located? Why isn’t it sufficient to just give a mailing address?

How do I register to vote?

Register to vote in Vermont by:
1. Using our Online Voter Registration system, or
2. Submitting a voter registration form to your town or city clerk.

Visit the Registration page to find out everything you need to know to register to vote in Vermont and to download a voter registration form.

When completing your application, you must include your Vermont driver’s license number on the form. If you do not have a Vermont driver’s license number or if your license is suspended, include the last four digits of your Social Security number. Be sure to take the Voter’s Oath if you have never voted in Vermont (the Oath can be self-administered and is contained on the online and paper applications). Once your application is completed, you must submit the form to the town or city clerk in the town or city in which you reside.

You will be given an opportunity to register to vote or update your address when you register your car, get a driver’s license, or renew your registration or license with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). You will also be offered an opportunity to register whenever you apply for benefits from a designated agency in state government.

Complete the Application for Addition to the Checklist.

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How do I verify if I am registered to vote in Vermont?

You can check your registration status online, here.

You may also contact your town or city clerk.

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What is the deadline to register to vote?

Beginning January 1, 2017, eligible persons may register to vote on any day up to and including the day of the election.

Registration is available during all normal business hours of your town or city clerk's office on days preceding the election and during polling hours on Election Day. 17 V.S.A. § 2144

You may also register to vote online, here.

Once you are registered to vote you do not need to re-register unless you move to a new town.

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How do I get a voter registration form?

In Vermont, voter registration forms are called Applications for Addition to the Checklist.

You can also get an Application for Addition to the Checklist from your town or city clerk or by calling 1-800-439-VOTE.

You may also register online using our Online Voter Registration system.

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How do I contact my town or city clerk?

Contact information for town and city clerks, treasurers, and county clerks can be found in the Guide to Vermont’s Town Clerks, Treasurers & County Clerks.

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Am I eligible to vote in Vermont?

Any person may register to vote in the town of his or her residence who, on Election Day:

• 1. is a citizen of the United States;
• 2. is a resident of the state of Vermont (and a resident of the town in which you apply to be added to the checklist);
• 3. has taken, or has previously taken, the Voter’s Oath (formerly called the “Freeman’s Oath”); and
• 4. is 18 years of age or more.

Any person meeting the requirements above who will be 18 on or before the date of a general election may register and vote in the primary election immediately preceding that general election. See 17 V.S.A. § 2121.

For purposes of voter registration, the Vermont Statutes define residency as follows:

“Resident” shall mean a person who is domiciled in the town as evidenced by an intent to maintain a principal dwelling place in the town indefinitely and to return there if temporarily absent, coupled with an act or acts consistent with that intent. 17 V.S.A. § 2122(b).

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Who is a resident for voting purposes?

Vermont election law defines a resident as “a person who is domiciled in the town as evidenced by an intent to maintain a principal dwelling place in the town indefinitely and to return there if temporarily absent, coupled with an act or acts consistent with that intent.” 17 V.S.A. § 2122(b).

The law creates a subjective standard. This means that it is the voter’s intent and actions that determine residency, not how many nights a year the voter sleeps in town. A voter who has more than one home must decide which one is his or her “principal” dwelling place.

Special cases: Vermont election law allows a person to remain registered in the last town in which they resided if they are in the military, living overseas, in a nursing home or other health care facility, in a veterans home, attending school, or in a correctional institution. See 17 V.S.A. § 2122(a).

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Can you be registered or vote in more than one town?

A voter may only register and vote in one town. It is unlawful to vote, or to attempt to vote, in more than one town. See 17 V.S.A. § 1973.

When you register in a new town you must indicate on your registration form what town you are currently registered in so that your name can be removed from the voter checklist in that town.

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Do I have to register as a Democrat, Republican, Independent or some other party in Vermont?

No. There is no party registration in Vermont.

All registered voters can vote in the primary election—but can only vote on one ballot. You will be given a ballot for each of the major parties. You mark one of the ballots and put the remaining unvoted ballots into a discard bin. Which ballot you chose to vote is private and not recorded (except during the presidential primary, where voters must publicly take one ballot or the other, and their choice is recorded on the entrance checklist).

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Why does the voter registration form require a description of where my principal dwelling is located? Why isn’t it sufficient to just give a mailing address?

The town clerk must be given enough information to determine whether you live in the town where you are registering, and in some communities the clerk must decide what voting district you live in. It is therefore important to include the number, street name, and apartment number of your residence on the registration form. If you live in a dormitory or other institution you must include the dormitory or building name and room number, not just a box number, because the campus may be split between more than one district. If you also provide a mailing address, your physical address will not be disclosed on any publicly provided checklist.

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