The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 17 : Elections

Chapter 051 : Conduct of Elections

Subchapter 007 : PROCESS OF VOTING

• § 2563. Admitting voter

  Before a person may be admitted to vote, he or she shall announce his or her name and, if requested, his or her place of residence in a clear and audible tone of voice, or present his or her name in writing, or otherwise identify himself or herself by appropriate documentation. The election officials attending the entrance of the polling place shall then verify that the person’s name appears on the checklist for the polling place.

  (1) If the name does appear, and if no one immediately challenges the person’s right to vote on grounds of identity or having previously voted in the same election, the election officials shall repeat the name of the person and:

  (A)(i) If the checklist indicates that the person is a first-time voter in the municipality who registered by mail or online, whose driver’s license, nondriver identification number, or last four digits of his or her Social Security number provided by the applicant have not been verified by the Secretary of State, and who has not provided required identification before the opening of the polls, require the person to present any one of the following: a valid photo identification; a copy of a current utility bill; a copy of a current bank statement; or a copy of a government check, paycheck, or any other government document that shows the current name and address of the voter.

  (ii) If the person is unable to produce the required information, the person shall be afforded the opportunity to complete a new application for addition to the checklist in accordance with section 2144 of this title.

  (iii) The election officials shall note upon the checklist a first-time voter in the municipality who has registered by mail and who produces the required information, and place a mark next to the voter’s name on the checklist and allow the voter to proceed to the voting booth for the purpose of voting.

  (B) If the voter is not a first-time voter in the municipality, no identification shall be required. The clerk shall place a check next to the voter’s name on the checklist and allow the voter to proceed to the voting booth for the purpose of voting.

  (2) If the name does not appear, the person shall be afforded the opportunity to complete an application for addition to the checklist in accordance with section 2144 of this title. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1981, No. 239 (Adj. Sess.), § 44; 2003, No. 59, § 32; 2015, No. 44, § 13, eff. Jan. 1, 2017; 2017, No. 50, § 37.)