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2025 Vermont Statutes
Title 17 - Elections
Chapter 49 - Nominations
§ 2370. Write-in candidates

Universal Citation:
17 VT Stats § 2370
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§ 2370. Write-in candidates

(a)(1) In order to have votes listed for a write-in candidate under section 2587 of this title, not later than 5:00 p.m. on the Thursday preceding the primary election, a write-in candidate for the General Assembly, any State office, or any federal office shall complete a form of the Secretary of State’s design affirming that the candidate wants to have received votes listed under subdivision 2587(e)(3) of this title. The candidate shall file the form with either all town clerks within the candidate’s applicable district or the Secretary of State’s office in an electronic manner approved by the Secretary. The Secretary of State shall notify the appropriate town clerks of any filings made in accordance with this subsection as soon as practicable.

(2) Notwithstanding subdivision (1) of this subsection, a write-in candidate is not required to file if:

(A) the candidate has already filed a consent to the printing of the candidate’s name on the ballot for a major political party, as provided in section 2361, 2385, or 2402 of this title; or

(B) no candidate is printed on the ballot, or if a candidate whose name is printed on the ballot dies or is otherwise disqualified prior to 7:00 p.m. on the election day.

(b) A write-in candidate shall not qualify as a primary winner unless the candidate receives at least one-half the number of votes as the number of signatures required for the candidate’s office on a primary petition, except that if a write-in candidate receives more votes than a candidate whose name is printed on the ballot, the write-in candidate shall qualify as a primary winner.

(c) Before becoming the party’s candidate in the general election, the write-in candidate who qualifies as a primary winner under this section must:

(1) still be determined a winner under section 2369 of this chapter; and

(2) file a consent similar in form to the consent prescribed by sections 2361, 2385, and 2402 of this title with the Secretary of State. (Added 1977, No. 269 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 2013, No. 161 (Adj. Sess.), § 17; 2025, No. 70, § 9, eff. June 25, 2025.)

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