Elections: Candidates and Parties

2012 Vermont Presidential Election Information

General Information

• Write-in votes are allowed and no declaration of candidacy is required for write-in candidates.
• All presidential candidates must file a petition signed by 1,000 registered Vermont voters with the Vermont Secretary of State.
• A Consent of Candidate form is required for all presidential and vice presidential candidates, and for each elector selected by the presidential candidate.
• Vermont law does not prohibit the use of paid circulators for collection of signatures on petitions. However, we strongly caution that you have a trusted campaign staff person review the petition before it is submitted. Our office will carefully check each signature and reject obvious forgeries.
• Vermont has three electoral votes.
• For major party (Democratic, Progressive, Republican) presidential candidates, a $2,000 filing fee is required*. There is no filing fee for independent presidential candidates.
  
  * if the petition of a candidate is accompanied by the affidavit of the candidate, available for public inspection, that the candidate and the candidate's campaign committee are without sufficient
  funds to pay the filing fee, the secretary of state shall waive all but $300.00 of
  the payment of the filing fee by that candidate. 17 V.S.A. §2702
  

Major parties in Vermont.

Forms:

The following links below contain all the forms that each candidate must file with the VT Secretary of State. (each link is a pdf. document)

Presidential Primary Major Party Forms

General Election Independent Presidential Forms

General Election Minor Party Presidential Forms

2012 Presidential Election Calendar

January 9
Presidential primary petitions and consent forms for major party candidates shall be filed with the secretary of state not later than 5:00 p.m. (signed by at least 1,000 registered Vermont voters).  17 V.S.A. §§ 2103(13), 2702, 2353, 2354, 2358 

January 22
Town clerks will receive presidential primary ballots by this date (not later than 45 days before the election).  17 V.S.A. §§ 2479

March 6
PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY AND TOWN MEETING  17 V.S.A. § 2701

March 13
The canvassing committee for national offices shall meet at 10:00 a.m. one week after the day of election to certify results of the presidential primary.  17 V.S.A. § 2607

May 14
First day to file petitions and consent forms for independent presidential candidates and statements of nomination and consent forms for minor party presidential candidates.
17 V.S.A. §2356, 2361, 2402(d)

June 14
Petitions and consent forms for independent presidential candidates and statements of nomination and consent forms for minor party presidential candidates are due by 5:00 p.m.
17 V.S.A. §§ 2356, 2361, 2402(d)

September 20
Major party chair must certify in writing the names of the presidential and vice presidential candidates selected at the party's national convention (forty-seven days before the general election). 
17 V.S.A. § 2716

November 6
GENERAL ELECTION DAY
All polling places may open no earlier than 5 a.m. and no later than 10 a.m. and must close at 7:00 p.m.  17 V.S.A. § 2561

MAILING ADDRESS:
Office of the Vermont Secretary of State
Attn: Elections Division
128 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05633-1101

Email David if you have any questions.