Editor’s note: This Q&A is one of many that VTDigger will run throughout Election Day.
This Election Day, Lenore Broughton and Tina McCaffrey are two of the nine members on the Burlington Board for the Registration of Voters who are helping out at polls across the city. Broughton is the primary financier of the super PAC Vermonters First, which had spent almost $1 million this election to promote certain candidates and causes as of last week.
VTDigger caught up with the two at Burlington’s Ward 6 poll in the Edmunds Middle School gym off Main Street. While McCaffrey spoke at length with VTDigger, Broughton left the interview after responding to the first question.
Why do you think it’s important to vote?
McCaffrey: We want everyone to be enfranchised and to be able to exercise their right to election of officials that will represent them.
Broughton: I think that’s a very silly question.
Why is that?
Broughton: I think it’s about the most important thing you can do as a citizen.
How are voter registration numbers shaping up?
McCaffrey: Just in the last months, we’ve had more than 3,000 applicants. So, the numbers are up.
What Election Day responsibilities do you two have as board members?
McCaffrey: “We’re the Board for the Registration of Voters, and our responsibility is maintenance of the checklist. We’re here today to troubleshoot. The deadline for registering was last Wednesday, so anyone who didn’t register by then is unfortunately out of luck this election. But there are a lot of people within the city who are not in the correct ward or they never gave us an update or we didn’t get paperwork from the state when they renewed their licenses.”
What do you think about the role money has played in this year’s election?
McCaffrey: It certainly has impacted things. But I feel like everybody has a right to do what they want. We don’t question Sen. Leahy if he puts a whole lot of money into his campaign and yet we’re pointing fingers at people who are helping super PACs. I sort of feel like maybe something needs to change, but I think some of the articles I’ve seen lately unfairly target people. And I’m not sure if that is because people disagree with their point of view.
Do you think people have a right to spend as much money as they want to influence campaigns?
McCaffrey: I think they do. Nothing makes a difference until people vote. You can put up as much money as you want, but unless you can influence a voter or get your point across, I don’t think it really matters how much money is out there. I’ve been sort of disappointed in the half-truths published that have taken things out of context.
What sort of half-truths?
I’m thinking more national, I’m not thinking local. I haven’t seen much local coverage out of context.
