Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont House of Representatives voted to override Governor Scott’s vetoes of Winooski and Montpelier charter changes (H227 and H177, respectively) by identical votes of 103-47. All 150 House members were present in attendance for the virtual veto session.
The bills allow for non-citizens to vote in local elections in those two towns.
Scott's principal opposition to them was that it creates a patchwork of election laws from one town to another. He said Tuesday at his regular press briefing that he is not opposed to the concept of non-citizen voting necessarily, but would want to consider a comprehensive bill covering all municipalities in the state.
Speaker Jill Krowinski issued the following statement following both roll call votes: “Today’s successful votes to override the Governor's vetoes on the Winooski and Montpelier charter changes reiterate our strong support for honoring the voices of communities in making these decisions. We have a rich history of Vermonters coming together in their cities, towns, and villages to work together and chart a path forward that works best for their communities. These charters expand local voting rights to residents of these respective communities, and these decisions were made by the voters after robust discussion and deliberation.
“We have seen states across the country take action to restrict voter access, yet here in Vermont we continue the work to expand access to voting for the residents of our great state. I am proud of today’s votes which support the will of the citizens of Montpelier and Winooski, and I look forward to continuing the work to increase participation in our democracy.”
The Senate, which is expected to vote Thursday, must also vote to override in order for H227 and H177 to become law.