Gov. Phil Scott said Wednesday he is not opposed to moving toward a mail-in voting system for the general election, but he would prefer not to make a decision now that will change how people vote in November.
Scott’s remarks came a day after VTDigger reported on his reluctance to immediately support expanding the state’s mail-in voting system.
“I had preferred not to do this through the media, but it appears that is no longer viable,” the governor said.
The Republican governor said he has asked Secretary of State Jim Condos, a Democrat, if the state could set up the infrastructure for expanding mail-in voting, but not decide what to do until after the Aug. 11 primary election.
Condos has said that his proposal does not force any voter to cast a ballot by mail, but authorizes the Secretary of State’s office to send ballots to all active voters in Vermont, at which point the individual can decide if they would rather go to the polls or vote-by-mail.
“I just don’t understand the need to make the decision today, to make a determination whether it’s going to be mandatory in November, when, right now, we have the means to move forward with the process and set it into place. And then, after the primary, push go,” Scott said Wednesday.
Condos told VTDigger that the governor must approve the plan in the coming days to give the Secretary of State’s Office enough time to set up the infrastructure needed to strengthen the early and absentee ballot apparatus.
After Scott said Monday that he had concerns with expanding the state’s mail-in voting system for the general election, the Vermont Democratic Party and gubernatorial candidates chided the governor for potentially putting voters’ health at risk, and obstructing Condos’ proposal.
Former Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe immediately released a statement calling on Scott to “not stand in the way of free, fair, and accessible elections” and Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, a Progressive/Democrat, quickly followed with an email to supporters asking them to sign a petition demanding the governor support the secretary of state’s plan.
On Wednesday, the Vermont Democratic Party announced it was beginning a five-figure digital ad campaign highlighting Scott’s resistance to the vote-by-mail expansion.
– Kit Norton
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