City Meetings and Elections

V.S.A. tit. 24 Appendix, ch. 9, subch. 2

in effect

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 9, § 2.1 City election

2.1. City election (a) On the first Tuesday in March of odd numbered years, the legal voters of the City shall elect, from among their number, a Mayor, a City Treasurer, a City Assessor, and six aldermen at large, each for a term of two years. (b) On the first Tuesday in March of even numbered years, the legal voters of the City, shall elect from among their number, five aldermen at large and such ward officers as are provided for hereinafter, each for a term of two years. (c) On the first Tuesday in March 1988, the legal voters of the City shall elect from among their number four school commissioners who shall hold office for three years; and on the first Tuesday in March 1989, they shall elect from among their number, three school commissioners who shall hold office for three years; and on the first Tuesday in March 1990, they shall elect from their number four school commissioners who shall hold office for three years; and annually thereafter school commissioners shall be elected at the annual City election by the legal voters of said City as their respective terms expire, to hold office for three years, and until their successors are elected and have qualified. (d) All officers of said City of Rutland, who have been duly elected or appointed and have qualified under the provisions of the charter in force before the passing of this charter, and all such officers who shall be hereafter duly elected or appointed and shall qualify under the provisions of this charter, shall continue to hold office until their successors have been duly elected or appointed and have qualified in accordance with the provisions of this charter. (e) The election of all City and ward officers to be elected under the provisions of this charter, shall be by ballot, and the person or persons receiving a plurality of all votes cast for any office aforesaid, shall be declared elected thereto. (f) In the election of ward officers, if no candidate receives a plurality of the votes cast, the Mayor shall appoint a legal voter of the ward to fill such office until the next election. In the election of all other elected officers, if no candidate receives a plurality of the votes cast, another election shall be called by the Mayor to be held within 60 days, said election shall be conducted under the same proceedings and methods as the inconclusive election.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 9, § 2.2 Special City meetings

2.2. Special City meetings (a) The Mayor shall call a special meeting of all the legal voters of the City, when petitioned to do so by not less than five percent of the legal voters of the municipality, but only for any legal purpose beyond the jurisdiction of the Board of Aldermen. (b) The Mayor shall call a special City meeting for any purpose upon being petitioned to do so by two-thirds of the members of the Board of Aldermen voting and present at a regular meeting, or by two-thirds of the members of the Board of School Commissioners, voting and present at a regular meeting. (c) Also, the Mayor may, with the approval of the Board of Aldermen, call a special meeting for any purpose when he or she feels such a meeting is necessary for the public good. (d) At such special meetings those persons whose names are on the checklist used for the last City election shall be entitled to vote; and also such persons as were or have become entitled by law to have their names on the checklist and whose names have been added thereto, by the Board of Civil Authority since said City election. (e) The questions at any such special meeting shall be decided by ballot. There shall be separate polling places in each ward, for every such special meeting and the ward officers hereinbefore named shall act at such meeting in the same manner and have the same powers as at City or ward elections. For all such meetings it shall be the duty of the City Clerk to prepare and distribute suitable ballots in the same manner provided for city and ward elections. Amended 1997, No. M-17(Adj. Sess.), § 2.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 9, § 2.3 General and primary elections

2.3. General and primary elections General and primary elections shall be conducted in the wards of the City pursuant to the provisions of Vermont Statutes Annotated. Ward officials shall perform all and the same duties in regard to certifying the results of elections in their respective wards as now devolve by law upon the presiding officers of elections and town clerks; in addition thereto they shall certify the same to the City Clerk, who shall keep a record thereof.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 9, § 2.4 Method of conducting elections

2.4. Method of conducting elections All annual and special City elections, and all special meetings, shall be held in the several wards at times designated by the Board of Aldermen as directed by State statutes.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 9, § 2.5 Warnings

2.5. Warnings (a) All warnings for all meetings for the elections of City or ward officers, and for special meetings of all the legal voters of said City, for any purpose, shall be issued by the Mayor and published in the manner and for the length of time designated by law. (b) Warnings for all City elections or special meetings of a municipality shall, by separate articles, specifically indicate the business to be transacted. The warning shall also contain any article or articles requested by a petition signed by at least five percent of the legal voters of the municipality and filed with the legislative branch not less than 40 days before the day of such meeting. The warnings shall also contain any question requested by a signed petition of at least two-thirds of the members of the Board of Aldermen or Board of School Commissioners, present and voting at a regular meeting. Questions shall be stated as written in said petition.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 9, § 2.6 Checklists

2.6. Checklists Checklists of voters for the City and for each of the City’s wards shall be compiled and maintained pursuant to Title 17 Vermont Statutes Annotated. Amended 1997, No. M-17 (Adj. Sess.), § 3.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 9, § 2.7 Qualifications of voters—penalties

2.7. Qualifications of voters—penalties (a) Voting qualifications for the right to vote in any City election or meeting shall be the same as those required by State statutes for municipal meetings. (b) The penalties for illegal voting at any City election shall be the same as those prescribed for illegal voting by State statutes.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 9, § 2.8 Ward officers

2.8. Ward officers (a) The ward officers shall be a Clerk and a First, Second, and Third Inspector of Elections, and any other officers required by law of the State for each polling place at an election. One of said Inspectors shall be a member of the minority party casting the largest vote at the general election next preceding. Said officers shall be subject to rules and regulations of the Board of Civil Authority, not in conflict with State statutes. (b) The ward officers shall be sworn to the faithful discharge of their respective duties and shall hold their offices until their successors are chosen and have qualified. They shall be paid such compensation as shall be voted by the Board of Civil Authority. (c) In case there is no representative of the minority party herein provided for on the Board of Inspectors of Elections of any ward, the Mayor shall, before any election is held in such ward, declare a vacancy in the Third Inspector’s place in such ward, and shall thereupon fill such vacancy by appointing a legal voter residing in such ward and belonging to such minority party. (d) In case of a vacancy in any ward office occasioned by death, removal from the ward or City, resignation, inability to serve, failure to elect, or other cause, the same shall be filled by the Mayor.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 9, § 2.9 Duties of ward officers

2.9. Duties of ward officers (a) It shall be the duty of the clerk of each ward to preside at the polling place of the ward, to keep a record of all elections held therein, and immediately after any election in such ward, to return to the City Clerk a statement of the votes cast in such ward signed by two ward officials, which statement shall be recorded in the City record. (b) It shall be the duty of the inspectors of elections to be present, and preserve order at all elections in their respective wards, to decide all questions relative to the right of any person to vote at the election, and with the ballot clerks, to sort and count the ballots, and to inform the City Clerk immediately after such count is completed of the results of the election. (c) For all City or ward elections, and all City meetings, the City Clerk shall prepare all official ballots in the same manner and subject to all the provisions of the laws of this State providing for and regulating the preparation and distribution of official ballots in towns and cities.

24 App. V.S.A. ch. 9, § 2.10 Qualifications of candidates for municipal and/or ward office

2.10. Qualifications of candidates for municipal and/or ward office Any registered voter from the City of Rutland qualified to vote for a candidate for municipal or ward office may be nominated as a candidate for any municipal or ward office except as hereinafter limited or as limited by the laws of the State of Vermont. The name of such candidate shall be printed on the official ballot to be used at the City election, if nomination papers issued by the City Clerk, signed in person by at least 35 registered voters of the City for an office to be filled by the voters of the entire City, or at least five of the registered voters of any ward for an office to be filled by the voters of such ward, are filed with the City Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the sixth Monday preceding the day of the election, which shall be the filing deadline. Each voter signing such nomination papers shall indicate that he or she is a voter in the City and in the ward for which the nomination is made, and that he or she has not subscribed to more nominations of candidates for this office as there are persons to be elected thereto. Such nomination papers shall be in substantially the following form: STATE OF VERMONT CITY OF RUTLAND NOMINATION PAPER The undersigned, registered voters of the City of Rutland qualified to vote for a candidate for the office named below, in accordance with law, make the following nomination of a candidate to be voted for at the election to be held in the City of Rutland on ________ , 20__ . We are voters in the political division for which the nomination is made, and we have not subscribed to more nominations of candidates for this Office than there are persons to be elected thereto. Name of Office for Residence Candidate Which Nominated (Street and Number) Signatures and Residences of Nominators Signature of Nominator Residence to be Made in Person (Street and Number, if any) Acceptance of Nomination I accept the above nomination. (Signature of Nominee)

Source: Vermont General Assembly (legislature.vermont.gov)URL: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/chapter/24APPENDIX/009Fetched: 10/21/2026