An act relating to miscellaneous changes to election law
S.98 is a broad election-law bill that combines several voter-access, campaign-finance, and election-administration changes. It would expand automatic voter registration by requiring Reach Ahead service applications, including SNAP-related forms, to automatically register applicants to vote unless they opt out, and it would require several executive branch agencies to report on other forms that could be integrated with the State voter registration system. The bill also allows 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote, with voting limited to those who are 18 by election day or otherwise eligible under the primary-election rule.
The bill makes major changes to Vermont’s campaign finance system. It raises and clarifies reporting thresholds, adds a delinquent-filing penalty structure for late reports and disclosures, and repeals the current public financing option. In its place, it creates a new “Democracy Certificate Program,” under which eligible voters may opt in to receive certificates that direct public funds to participating candidates for State office. The program includes candidate qualification rules, contribution limits, debate participation requirements, public disclosure and tracking requirements, anti-fraud provisions, and rulemaking authority for the Secretary of State.
If enacted, the bill would amend multiple titles of Vermont law, including election registration provisions in Title 17 and voter leave protections in Title 21. It would expand the State’s voter-registration infrastructure, create new reporting obligations for agencies, change campaign finance filing and enforcement rules, and replace existing public financing statutes with a voucher-style public funding mechanism for State office campaigns. It would also impose a new employer obligation to provide up to four hours of protected time off for employees to vote in person on election days, subject to specified scheduling and notice rules, and would authorize a civil penalty for violations.
The bill’s overall policy direction appears strongly pro-voter and pro-participation, with multiple provisions aimed at making registration, voting, and campaign participation easier and more accessible. The absence of recorded committee transcripts or votes means there is no documented formal debate in the provided materials, but the structure of the bill suggests an affirmative reform agenda focused on turnout, youth engagement, and public financing. At the same time, the bill also reflects a desire for tighter campaign-finance accountability through new reporting thresholds, penalties, and anti-fraud enforcement.
The most likely points of contention are the scope of automatic voter registration, the lowering of the preregistration age to 16, and the replacement of the existing public financing option with the new Democracy Certificate Program. The public-financing overhaul may draw scrutiny over administrative complexity, funding availability, and the Secretary of State’s broad discretion in determining eligibility and managing disbursements. Employer-provided paid or protected voting leave may also be debated by employers and business groups because it imposes a new workplace compliance requirement, even though the bill limits the leave to four hours and allows scheduling flexibility.