Secretary of State announces Primary Election candidates
June 4, 2024 | By Waterbury Roundabout Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas has announced the statewide and federal candidates for the Aug. 13 primary and reminds voters about a newly enacted law banning firearms from polling places.
Calling last week’s May 30 deadline for candidates to file “another milestone in Vermont’s very busy 2024 electoral calendar,” Copeland Hanzas said, “It’s inspiring to have all these folks step up to serve, and my office gets a front-row seat as candidates come to file their petitions and paperwork.”
The Aug. 13 primary will determine the major party candidates for the November General Election.
Statewide offices on the ballot are: U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Treasurer, Secretary of State, Auditor of Accounts, and Attorney General. In addition, all members of the Vermont Legislature – 30 state Senate seats, and 150 state House seats – will be on the ballot as well as county positions of High Bailiffs.
The signature requirements for candidate petitions vary by office. Federal and statewide candidates must file 500 signatures; candidates for state Senate or other county offices are required to collect 100 signatures; candidates for state representative must submit 50. State law also requires candidates to file a consent form.
Monday’s election announcement listed all of the candidates who have filed to run for statewide office.
U.S. Senator: Gerald Malloy, R-Weathersfield, and incumbent Bernie Sanders, D-Burlington.
U.S. Representative: Incumbent Beccal Balint, D-Brattleboro, and Mark Coester, R-Westminster.
Governor: Marielle Blais, P-Brandon, Esther Charlestin, D-Middlebury, Peter K. Duval, D-Underhill, and incumbent Phil Scott, R-Berlin.
Lieutenant Governor: Zoraya Hightower, P-Burlington; John S. Rodgers, R-Glover, Gregory M. Thayer, R-Rutland City; Thomas Renner, D-Winooski, and incumbent David Zuckerman, D-Hinesburg.
State Treasurer: Joshua Bechhoefer, R-Cornwall, H.Brooke Paige, R-Washington; Tim Maciel, P-Brattleboro; and incumbent Mike Pieciak, D-Winooski.
Secretary of State: Incumbent Sarah Copeland Hanzas, D-Bradford, and H. Brooke Paige, R-Washington.
Auditor of Accounts: Linda Gravell, P-Waterbury; incumbent Doug Hoffer, D-Burlington; H. Brooke Paige, R-Washington.
Attorney General: Incumbent Charity R. Clark, D-Williston; Elijah Bergman, P-Danby; H. Brooke Paige, R-Washington.
Independent candidates have until Aug. 8 to file for a spot on the November ballot.
A preliminary record of the major party primary candidates is on the Secretary of State website. It includes legislative and high bailiff candidates.
Unlike the presidential primary in March, Copeland Hanzas reminds voters that for the August primary voters will receive all three major party ballots – Republican, Democratic and Progressive. Voters choose one to mark and return the two unmarked ballots.
Voters can begin to request early/absentee ballots now from their town or city clerks or using the online My Voter Page site with the Secretary of State’s office at mvp.vermont.gov. “With the busyness of summer, the August Primary will come quickly. It’s good to start thinking about your voting plan,” Copeland Hanzas said in her announcement. “Is your voter registration up to date? Do you plan to vote in person or request an absentee ballot? Where is your polling place?”
Wesley Dunn in the Secretary of State’s office said that ballots are available 45 days before the election and should arrive at local clerks' offices by Friday, June 28. Voters should be able to drop by their municipal offices starting July 1 to vote early in person, Dunn said.
New law on firearms and elections
Copeland Hanzas noted that a newly enacted statewide law prohibits firearms in polling locations. “Firearms are not allowed in other sensitive areas in our civic life. Our office supports extending that prohibition to polling locations,” she said. “Ultimately, we all play an important role to make sure that our elections run smoothly and securely. This is a big election year, and it’s crucial that every eligible Vermonter can make their voice heard.”
Along with other election educational materials distributed to local city and town clerks, the Secretary of State’s office will produce a poster related to the new firearms law. In addition, the office will provide de-escalation and security training for clerks and poll workers, Copeland Hanzas said.
The new law carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000 for violators. It is contained in a larger piece of legislation, S.209, which Gov. Phil Scott allowed to become law without his signature, citing disagreements with the bill’s other provision regarding serialization of firearms.
Looking ahead to the year’s second and third statewide elections, the secretary praised the many Vermonters who help prepare for and run elections in the state. “Vermont’s town and city clerks do an amazing job administering elections and are a critical local resource for all voters as the Primary Election approaches,” she said. “Clerks and their staff, along with local Boards of Civil Authority and all the volunteer poll workers and others that support local elections, make Vermont’s elections the envy of states across the country.”