Bill > S0298

This bill, titled the "Vermont Voting Rights Act of 2026," aims to strengthen voting rights by explicitly prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or language minority group membership in elections, and it will also prevent local racial gerrymandering, which is the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor one group over another. The legislation mandates language assistance for voters who need it and voting assistance for individuals over 65 and those with disabilities, while also prohibiting any changes to municipal electoral systems within 60 days before a general election. Furthermore, it establishes a "pre-clearance" system requiring municipalities to get approval from the Attorney General's office before altering electoral districts or systems, and it bans at-large districts if they hinder a protected class's ability to elect their preferred candidates or influence election outcomes. The bill also creates a Voter Education and Outreach Fund and criminalizes voter intimidation, the spread of false information to registered voters to impede their vote, and interference with the voting process, with penalties including fines and imprisonment; it also proposes to count certain incarcerated individuals at their residential addresses prior to incarceration for reapportionment purposes.