Vermont Senate Democrats present Voting Rights Act
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Vermont business Magazine On Martin Luther King Day, Democratic leaders and voting rights advocates gathered to announced the Vermont Voting Rights Act, legislation that will safeguard the voting rights of all Vermonters amid growing threats to the federal Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court plans to rehear Louisiana v. Callais prior to the 2026 midterms, which is widely expected to determine the fate of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was instrumental in passing.
The Vermont Voting Rights Act would prohibit racial gerrymandering, expand language assistance and disability access, strengthen voter education, and enhance protections against voter intimidation and misinformation. It would forbid discrimination in voting and election procedures based on race, color, or membership in a language-minority group, and will prevent suppression practices that reduce the voting power of protected communities.
The bill would also end prison gerrymandering by requiring incarcerated individuals to be counted at their residential address prior to incarceration, rather than at the location of incarceration.
“Free and fair elections are one of the last bright lines left in our democracy, and passing the Vermont Voting Rights Act will protect that line for every Vermont voter,” said Senate Majority Leader Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D-Chittenden), the bill’s lead sponsor. All Democrats in the State Senate are cosponsors.
Senate Majority Leader Kesha Ram Hinsdale was joined by Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas, Winooski Mayor Thomas Renner, Senator Joe Major (D-Windsor), Laura Cushman, Staff Attorney for Disability Rights Vermont and Justin Marsh, Political Director for Vermont Conservation Voters. Quinn Houston, Democracy Associate at Vermont Public Interest Research Group and Johnna Ferguson, Board Member of League of Women Voters of Vermont were also present.
“The federal administration is intent on taking us back to a time when people were systematically denied the right to vote — passing the Vermont VRA will ensure all eligible voters have access to the ballot here in Vermont. I plan to work closely with the Legislature to get this put into law,” said Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas.
“Town Meeting Day is one of Vermont’s most cherished traditions — here in Winooski, we have seen the benefits of extending voting rights, not taking them away, and I am proud of the Vermont Senate Democrat’s commitment to defending the right to vote,” said Winooski Mayor Thomas Renner, who hosted the press conference at the O’Brien Center in Winooski. Winooski, Burlington and Montpelier extend local voting rights to non-citizens.
“On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we honor not just the memory of Dr. King, but the enduring promise of our democracy that he fought so passionately to protect,” said Senator Joe Major (D-Windsor). “Access to the ballot is not a privilege, it is a fundamental right that ensures every voice is heard and every community is counted.”
“The disabled community is one of the most underrepresented groups in our society and they deserve equal access to voting rights as th eir peers — Vermont’s VRA will address systemic barriers that prevent fair and representative participation in democracy,” said Laura Cushman, Staff Attorney at Disability Rights Vermont. While Vermont scores high overall in voting access, it recently ranked 49th in access to the ballot for people with disabilities.
“Environmental protection and voting rights are inseparable. By passing a state Voting Rights Act, Vermont can once again show that democracy and environmental leadership go hand in hand,” said Justin Marsh, Political Director of Vermont Conservation Voters. “Because when more people can safely and fairly participate in elections, we make better decisions for our climate, our communities, and future generations.”
The bill does not yet have a number, and is expected to be introduced on the Senate floor on Tuesday, January 20.
1.19.2026. Senate Democrat Caucus