There are six elected officers in Vermont who serve the entire state, along with 180 state legislators who represent smaller districts. These positions are filled through a general election every two years in November. Counties hold elections as well for most of their top elected offices every four years. Those county elections are happening in 2026. The state’s three major parties choose their nominees for these offices through primary elections held in August. Once you know what each office does, explore the candidates running for those offices in VTDigger’s 2026 Election Guide.
This year’s general election is Nov. 3, 2026. The primary is Aug. 11.
As voters prepare to fill these positions, VTDigger has summed up the primary responsibilities of each:
State legislator
Members of the Vermont House and Senate propose, debate and approve state laws. They play a key role in writing the annual state budget, which determines how Vermont spends its resources, as well as determining tax policy. The Legislature confirms certain appointments made by the governor, including judges, and conducts oversight of the executive branch. Though the two chambers have similar powers, the Vermont Senate has 30 members and is elected largely along county lines, while the House has 150 members who typically represent a handful of towns or a portion of a city.
Governor
The governor of Vermont leads the state’s executive branch. The officeholder appoints those who lead the agencies and departments that provide all state government services, as well as state judges. The governor proposes a state budget to the Legislature each year and can veto bills the Legislature passes, with some exceptions. This person carries out state laws and implements the state budget. The governor oversees the Vermont National Guard and can assume additional powers during a time of emergency.
Lieutenant governor
Vermont’s lieutenant governor is largely a ceremonial role. The officeholder serves as the presiding officer of the Vermont Senate, able to vote on measures before the body only in case of a tie. The lieutenant governor steps in to perform the governor’s duties when that person is out of the state or incapacitated. More informally, people in the role have used it as a platform for advocacy and to convene Vermonters in public discussions of important issues.
Attorney general
Vermont’s attorney general leads an office that, like county-level state’s attorneys, can represent the state in all civil and criminal legal matters. The attorney general tends to focus on more significant cases in state and federal court — and joins other states in national litigation. Lawyers in the office advise state officials, departments and agencies on questions of law. They defend legislative acts and administrative rules in court. The office enforces state laws on civil rights, charitable fundraising and consumer protection, as well as particular areas of criminal justice, including gun regulations, computer crimes and fraud by healthcare providers against the federal Medicaid program.
Treasurer
Vermont’s state treasurer leads an office that serves as the bank for all state activities. The treasurer manages the state’s cash accounts, including processing checks and reconciling vendor payments and payroll. The office is also tasked with the investment of state reserve funds and the issuing of all state bonds. It oversees the state’s three major employee pension programs and other retirement benefits for state employees, teachers and the staff of participating municipalities. It also receives, holds in trust and seeks to return abandoned or unclaimed financial property.
Secretary of state
Vermont’s secretary of state leads a team tasked with a wide range of essential administrative functions, from overseeing the integrity of elections to maintaining the state’s historical records. Among other duties, the office licenses, investigates and disciplines those in more than 50 professions. It maintains records on businesses and other organizations registered to operate in the state. Along with overseeing elections, the office also receives and retains campaign finance reports and the registration of all active professional political lobbyists.
Auditor of accounts
Vermont’s auditor of accounts seeks to hold state government accountable by evaluating how taxpayer funds are spent. The auditor’s office performs and contracts a variety of required audits of the activities, receipts and expenditures of the state. It also regularly takes on performance audits to determine whether a particular public program is reaching its intended purpose or whether a particular department or agency is operating efficiently.
Sheriff
Sheriffs in Vermont are the elected law enforcement leaders of their county. While Vermont law describes some specific duties of sheriffs, such as helping facilitate evictions and serving court paperwork, sheriff’s departments have broad discretion to take on other law enforcement tasks. For that reason, departments differ widely in both their size and scope across the state. Many sheriff’s departments, in addition to handling civil court processes, also provide courthouse security, transport people who are incarcerated to court and provide some municipal policing.
State’s attorney
Each county has an elected state’s attorney who serves as the county’s top prosecutor. The state’s attorney represents the state in criminal cases and can decide which charges to bring against people, what sentences to request and what bail conditions or release conditions to request in ongoing cases. Most state’s attorneys manage offices that include deputy prosecutors.
Probate judge, assistant judge and high bailiff
In 2026, Vermonters will elect county officials, including probate judges, assistant judges and high bailiffs.
Probate judges work in the probate division of Vermont’s court system. These judges handle legal matters involving estates, wills, guardianship and name changes, among other responsibilities.
Each county elects two assistant judges, sometimes referred to as side judges. Assistant judges function like county executives, helping oversee the county budget process. Assistant judges also have judicial responsibilities, serving as finders of fact in certain court proceedings. Some assistant judges also handle hearings involving traffic violations.
High bailiffs in Vermont have few responsibilities and rarely have daily work related to their positions. In rare circumstances, the high bailiff can take over for a sheriff unable to fulfill their duties and can arrest the county sheriff.
Want to learn more about state and local government in Vermont?
If you’d like to dive deeper into how government in Vermont works, the Center for Cartoon Studies’ Freedom & Unity: A Graphic Guide to Civics and Democracy in Vermont offers an engaging, illustrated introduction to Vermont’s civic institutions, history and democratic process.
