Vermont leaders say election systems are ready as Nov. 3 nears

Officials say it is now too late to mail a ballot.

With Election Day less than two weeks away, Vermont’s top officials are assuring voters that the state’s election process is secure. By Monday, more than 100,000 Vermonters had already sent back their ballots.

Election workers in Winooski are among those in full preparation mode. City Clerk Jenny Willingham and her two-person staff are putting in extra hours to get ready for the coming vote, with a focus on keeping the process smooth for everyone who shows up.

State officials say they are also planning for problems that could interfere with voting, ranging from power outages and internet failures to communication breakdowns, physical threats, ICE at the polls, and bad weather. Sarah Copeland Hanzas, D-Vermont Secretary of State, said those scenarios are all part of the state’s contingency planning.

On Monday, Vermont’s Republican governor and Democratic secretary of state stood together to emphasize that there are no known or credible threats aimed at the state’s elections right now. Even so, they said the aggressive political climate seen elsewhere has started to filter into Vermont as well, and Copeland Hanzas called for a calmer approach to election-related debate.

The U.S. Department of Justice has said it will send 1,000 election monitors to communities around the country. In Vermont, poll watchers are barred from speaking with election workers or voters, or otherwise disrupting the process. Gov. Phil Scott said state and local law enforcement are ready to step in if anyone tries to interfere or intimidate people at polling places.

Scott also said security measures are being taken around the secretary of state’s website in the days before the election to reduce the risk of hacking.

Officials say it is now too late to mail a ballot. Voters can still use an official dropbox, deliver ballots to their town clerk, or bring them to the polls on Election Day next Tuesday.