Yesterday a ban on guns in and around Vermont’s polling places became law. Earlier this month, the state legislature passed the bill with bipartisan support. (In Vermont, the governor has 5 days after the legislation is received from the legislature to sign or veto it, and if neither happens, the bill becomes law.) Vermont joins 12 states, plus D.C., that prohibit both open and concealed carry at polling sites.
Sean Morales-Doyle, director of the Voting Rights Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law and coauthor of Guns and Voting: How to Protect Elections After Bruen, had the following comment:
“Vermont’s legislators should be congratulated for stepping up to protect the state’s voters and election workers. The new ban on guns at polling places is common sense, and it will help keep the state’s elections safe. No one should be at risk of intimidation or violence while casting a ballot. We hope more states follow in Vermont’s footsteps.”
Background
So far this year, New Mexico and now Vermont have enacted bans on guns at the polls. A bill in Colorado is awaiting the governor’s signature, and Massachusetts and Michigan are also considering similar bills.
Related resources:
- Guns and Voting: How to Protect Elections After Bruen, Brennan Center for Justice and GIFFORDS Law Center (September 2023)
- “Intimidation of State and Local Officeholders,” Brennan Center for Justice (January 2024)
- “Local Election Officials Survey — May 2024,” Brennan Center for Justice (May 2024)
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