Vermont state officials are warning of an increase in “heated” confrontations between voters and local town clerks as the state prepares for the November 3 general election. On Monday, Oct. 26, Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas and Phil Scott held a press conference in Montpelier to urge citizens to lower the temperature and trust the established electoral process, as reported by VTDigger.
The friction stems from a surge in voters who are agitated and unsure about election integrity, a sentiment Copeland Hanzas attributes to misinformation originating from Washington, D.C. She specifically pointed to daily and nightly social media posts from the president regarding how elections are conducted.
Governor Scott Blocks Federal Influence over State Elections
Phil Scott, a Republican, emphasized that the U.S. Constitution explicitly assigns election responsibility to the states. He stated that the state government and law enforcement will do whatever is necessary to ensure the Nov. 3 election runs safely, which includes blocking federal officials from exerting undue influence over the process.
“The [U.S.] Constitution is clear on this: The elections are the responsibility of the states. We take that very seriously,” Gov. Phil Scott told reporters.
A Decline in Early Voting Confidence
The anxiety surrounding the process is appearing in the data. As of Monday morning, approximately 101,400 people had cast ballots in Vermont—roughly a fifth of the 500,700 registered voters. While turnout is typically higher in presidential years than midterms, this number is notably lower than in previous cycles.
| Election Year | Ballots Cast (by Oct 26) |
|---|---|
| 2024 (Presidential) | 141,500 |
| 2022 (Midterm) | 113,400 |
| 2026 (Midterm) | 101,400 |
Copeland Hanzas suggested that this dip may be linked to a decrease in confidence regarding mail-in voting, following attempts by the Trump administration to curtail access to those ballots. Although those plans were struck down in court, the psychological impact remains. Compounding the issue are documented mail delivery delays across Vermont, leaving some voters without their ballots. Officials advise anyone missing a ballot to visit their local clerk’s office to fill one out in person.
Contingency Planning for Polling Places
The state is not just managing rhetoric; it is preparing for physical and digital disruptions. The Agency of Digital Services has bolstered protections for the Secretary of State’s website and online election management systems to ward off potential cyberattacks. On the ground, state officials have been coordinating with local law enforcement and the Vermont State Police to clarify the rules regarding poll observers and permitted activities.
The “contingencies” being planned for include power and internet outages, physical threats to election workers, and the potential appearance of federal immigration agents at polling locations. While the Trump administration stated earlier this month that it would not send U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to polling locations en masse, it stopped short of ruling out their presence entirely.
Copeland Hanzas noted that Vermont officials would likely receive little to no advance notice if federal agents decided to deploy.
The goal now is to ensure that law enforcement is prepared to uphold Vermont law.
