Vermont s primary election will be moved from its traditional date in the middle of September to the fourth Tuesday in August, a change which will take effect this year. This year s primary will occur on August 24. Governor Jim Douglas allowed the bill to pass into law last week without his signature.
Lawmakers initiated the change in response to a new federal regulation that requires ballots for military and overseas voters to be shipped 45 days before election day in November. Because Vermont s primary date was traditionally in September, election officials would be left without enough time to confirm primary results, print the ballots and distribute them overseas by the deadline.
Douglas opposed changing the date of the primary, arguing that other states with September primary dates were working to be waived from the new deadline. However, he cited the high level of support that the bill received in the house, a vote of 139-6, as a reason for not using his veto power to stop it from proceeding.
(Sourcde: The Burlington Free Press)