Vermont lawmakers are considering a plan to move Vermont’s primary election from September to August, but Gov. Jim Douglas says the bill is being motivated by electoral politics.
A recent federal law requires states to mail ballots out 45 days before a general election, to give military and other voters living overseas time to vote.
Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz, some town clerks and lawmakers say there’s too short a time between the Sept. 14 primary and the Nov. 2 general election to get ballots printed up and sent overseas in time.
Gov. Jim Douglas says the push for the change is politically motivated, and that an August primary would give Democrats more time between that race and the November election.