Vermont State Senate elections, 2020
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| 2020 Vermont Senate Elections | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General | November 3, 2020 |
| Primary | August 11, 2020 |
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Elections for the office ofVermont State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for August 11, 2020. The filing deadline was May 28, 2020.
All 30 Senate seats were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Democrats held 22 seats, Republicans held six seats, and theVermont Progressive Party held two seats. Democrats lost one seat in the election, giving them a 21-7 majority with two progressive members.
TheVermont State Senate was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in2020. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections.
Vermont's 2020 state legislative elections affected partisan control ofredistricting following the 2020 census. In Vermont, the state legislature is responsible for redistricting. Anadvisory redistricting commission is also involved in the process.
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of thecoronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Vermont modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:
- Absentee/mail-in voting: Mail-in ballots were sent to all registered voters in the general election.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak,click here.
Party control
| Vermont State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 22 | 21 | |
| Republican Party | 6 | 7 | |
| Vermont Progressive Party | 2 | 2 | |
| Total | 30 | 30 | |
Candidates
Note: Due tofusion voting, Vermont candidates may appear on the ballot with multiple party affiliations. In those cases, the first party listed on the official ballot is the person's foremost political party. Please note that our ordering of political parties may not match the official list's order. For those candidates, please consult theofficial candidate list to see the correct party order.
The candidate lists below are based on candidate filing lists provided by the Vermont Secretary of State. (I) denotes an incumbent.[1]
General election
Vermont State Senate general election | |||
| |||
| Office |  Democratic |  Republican | Other |
| Addison District (2 seats) |
| Archie Flower (Libertarian Party) | |
| Bennington District (2 seats) |
| Kevin Hoyt (Independent) | |
| Caledonia District (2 seats) | JT Dodge (Libertarian Party) | ||
| Chittenden District (6 seats) |
| Susan Bowen |
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| Essex-Orleans District (2 seats) | John Rodgers (i) (Independent) | ||
| Franklin District (2 seats) |
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| Grand Isle District |
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| Lamoille District |
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| Orange District |
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| Rutland District (3 seats) | Brittany Cavacas (Independent) | ||
| Washington District (3 seats) |
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| Windham District (2 seats) |
| Tyler Colford (Independent) | |
| Windsor District (3 seats) |
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= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate ConnectionPrimary election
Vermont State Senate primary election | |||
| |||
| Office | Democratic | Republican | Other |
| Addison District (2 seats) |
|
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| Bennington District (2 seats) |
| No candidates filed for the Republican primary | |
| Caledonia District (2 seats) | Vermont Progressive Party No candidates filed for the Vermont Progressive Party primary Did not make the ballot: | ||
| Chittenden District (6 seats) |
| Did not make the ballot: | |
| Essex-Orleans District (2 seats) | |||
| Franklin District (2 seats) | No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
| |
| Grand Isle District |
| No candidates filed for the Republican primary | |
| Lamoille District | No candidates filed for the Democratic primary |
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| Orange District | |||
| Rutland District (3 seats) | |||
| Washington District (3 seats) |
| ||
| Windham District (2 seats) |
| No candidates filed for the Republican primary | |
| Windsor District (3 seats) |
| ||
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in the general election
One incumbent lost in the Nov. 3 general election. That incumbent was:
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| John Rodgers |  Nonpartisan | Essex-Orleans District |
Incumbents defeated in primary elections
No incumbents lost in the Aug. 8 primaries.
Retiring incumbents
There were threeopen seats where the incumbent legislator did not file for re-election in 2020.[2] Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Debbie Ingram |  Democratic | Senate Chittenden District |
| Timothy Ashe | Democratic | Senate Chittenden District |
| James McNeil |  Republican | Senate Rutland District |
The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.
| Open Seats in Vermont State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2020 | 30 | 3 (10%) | 27 (90%) |
| 2018 | 30 | 4 (13%) | 26 (87%) |
| 2016 | 30 | 3 (10%) | 27 (90%) |
| 2014 | 30 | 3 (10%) | 27 (90%) |
| 2012 | 30 | 6 (20%) | 24 (80%) |
| 2010 | 30 | 5 (17%) | 25 (83%) |
Process to become a candidate
See statutes:Title 17-49 of the Vermont Election Law
Major party candidates
A candidate seeking the nomination of a major political party in the primary must file a nominating petition and consent form with the appropriate filing officer in order to authorize the printing of his or her name on the primary ballot.[3][4]
- For candidates seeking statewide or federal office, paperwork must be filed with theVermont Secretary of State.
- For candidates running for office in theVermont House of Representatives, paperwork must be filed with the Representative District Clerk.
- For candidates running for office in theVermont State Senate, paperwork must be filed with the Senatorial District Clerk.[3]
A candidate must file the petition and consent form with the appropriate filing authority no later than 5:00 p.m. on the fourth Thursday after the first Monday in May preceding the primary election. A candidate may only run for one party in the primary election, and only major party candidates may run in a primary.[5][6]
Petition signature requirements are detailed in the table below.[7]
| Statutory signature requirements for major party candidates | |
|---|---|
| Office | Required signatures |
| Statewide and federal office | 500 |
| State senator | 100 |
| State representative | 50 |
Minor party candidates
A candidate seeking the nomination of a minor political party in the general election is nominated by party committee. The candidate must file a candidate consent form and party committee nomination form with theVermont Secretary of State. The party committee must also complete the party committee nomination form.[8]
Both the candidate consent form and the party committee nomination form must be filed no later than 5:00 p.m. on the fourth Thursday after the first Monday in May preceding the primary election.[5][8]
- For candidates seeking statewide or federal office, paperwork must be filed with theVermont Secretary of State.
- For candidates running for office in theVermont House of Representatives, paperwork must be filed with the Representative District Clerk.
- For candidates running for office in theVermont State Senate, paperwork must be filed with the Senatorial District Clerk.[3]
Independent candidates
An independent candidates in the general election must file a statement of nomination form and candidate consent form with theVermont Secretary of State in order to authorize the printing of his or her name on the general election ballot.[9]
Petition signature requirements are detailed in the table below.[10]
| Statutory signature requirements for independent candidates | |
|---|---|
| Office | Required signatures |
| Statewide and federal office | 500 |
| State senator | 100 |
| State representative | 50 |
Write-in candidates
A write-in candidate is not required to submit any forms with any filing authority. The ballot will allow as many blank lines for write-in candidates as there are persons to be elected.[11]
2020 ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for Vermont State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.
| Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamber name | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source | |
| Vermont State Senate | Qualified party | N/A (signature requirements suspended in response to the coronavirus outbreak) | N/A | 5/28/2020 | Source | |
| Vermont State Senate | Unaffiliated | N/A (signature requirements suspended in response to the coronavirus outbreak) | N/A | 8/6/2020 | Source | |
Qualifications
TheVermont Constitution states, "No person shall be elected a Representative or a Senator until the person has resided in this State two years, the last year of which shall be in the legislative district for which the person is elected."[12]
Salaries and per diem
| State legislative salaries, 2025[13] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $897.29/week during session | Members can receive $74/day for meals and $167/night for lodging |
When sworn in
Vermont legislators assume office the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January after the election.[14]
Open seats
The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.
| Open Seats in Vermont State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2020 | 30 | 3 (10%) | 27 (90%) |
| 2018 | 30 | 4 (13%) | 26 (87%) |
| 2016 | 30 | 3 (10%) | 27 (90%) |
| 2014 | 30 | 3 (10%) | 27 (90%) |
| 2012 | 30 | 6 (20%) | 24 (80%) |
| 2010 | 30 | 5 (17%) | 25 (83%) |
Vermont political history
Trifectas
Astate government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
Vermont Party Control: 1992-2026
Ten years of Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
Presidential politics in Vermont
2016 Presidential election results
| U.S. presidential election, Vermont, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic |  Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 56.7% | 178,573 | 3 | |
| Republican | Donald Trump/Mike Pence | 30.3% | 95,369 | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 3.2% | 10,078 | 0 | |
| Green | Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka | 2.1% | 6,758 | 0 | |
| Independent | Roque De La Fuente/Michael Steinberg | 0.3% | 1,063 | 0 | |
| Liberty Union | Gloria Estela La Riva/Eugene Puryear | 0.1% | 327 | 0 | |
| - | Write-in votes | 7.3% | 22,899 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 315,067 | 3 | |||
| Election results via:Vermont Secretary of State | |||||
Voter information
How the primary works
Aprimary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Vermont utilizes anopen primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[15]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, seethis article.
Poll times
InVermont, polls may open as early as 5 a.m. and all polls must open by 10 a.m. All polls close at 7 p.m. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[16]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration statushere.
A United States citizen and state resident who is at least 18 years of age may register to vote in Vermont. The registrant must take the "Voter's Oath," which is included on the voter registration form.[17][18]
According to the secretary of state's website, "Beginning January 1, 2017, eligible persons may register to vote on any day up to and including the day of the election. Registration is available during all normal business hours of your town or city clerk's office on days preceding the election and during polling hours on Election Day."[17]
Automatic registration
- See also:Automatic voter registration
Vermontautomatically registers eligible individuals to vote through the Department of Motor Vehicles. An eligible voter may decline automatic registration.[18]
Online registration
- See also:Online voter registration
Vermont has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visitingthis website.
Same-day registration
- See also:Same-day voter registration
Vermont allowssame-day voter registration.[17]
Residency requirements
To register to vote in Vermont, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.[17]
Verification of citizenship
Vermont does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.
As of November 2025, Burlington, Vermont had authorized noncitizen residents to vote in local board elections. Noncitizens must register to vote using a separate application from the state voter registration application.[19]
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[20] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. One state, Ohio, requires proof of citizenship only when registering to vote at a Bureau of Motor Vehicles facility. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
TheVermont Voter Portal, run by the Vermont Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.
Voter ID requirements
Vermont does not require voters to present identification while voting in most cases.
The federalHelp America Vote Act requires that individuals in all 50 states who register to vote by mail and who have not voted previously in a federal election in their state must provide either their driver's license or a paycheck, bank statement, current utility bill, or government document showing their name and address. Individuals voting by mail must include a copy of one of those documents with their absentee/mail-in ballot.[21]
These requirements do not apply if an individual submitted a copy of their identification, their driver's license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number when registering to vote.The following list of accepted ID was current as of October 2025.Click here for the Vermont Secretary of State's page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.
- Valid photo ID (driver’s license or passport)
- Current utility bill
- Current bank statement
- Another government document containing your residential address
Early voting
Vermont permits early voting. Learn more by visitingthis website.
Early voting allows citizens to cast their ballots in person at a polling place before an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting. Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire do not offer no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
Vermont is anall-mail voting state. All voters are eligible to vote absentee/by mail in Vermont. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee/by mail.[22]
In general elections, the office of the secretary of state delivers mail-in ballots automatically to all active voters. For primary elections, or if a voter needs to request a replacement ballot in a general election, voters must submit an application to their town clerk by 5 p.m. on the day before the election.[22]
A completed absentee ballot must be returned to the town clerk before the close of business on the daybefore the election or to the polling place before 7 p.m. on Election Day.[22]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑Vermont Secretary of State, "General Election Candidates," accessed June 1, 2020
- ↑Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑3.03.13.2Vermont Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed March 28, 2025
- ↑Vermont Election Law, "Title 17-49-2361," accessed March 28, 2025
- ↑5.05.1Vermont Election Law, "Title 17-49-2356," accessed April 3, 2025
- ↑Vermont Election Law, "Title 17-49-2353," accessed April 3, 2025
- ↑Vermont Election Law, "Title 17-49-2355," accessed April 3, 2025
- ↑8.08.1Vermont Elections Division, "For Minor Party Candidates," accessed April 3, 2025
- ↑Vermont Elections Division, "Independent Candidates," accessed April 3, 2025
- ↑Vermont Election Law, "Title 17-49-2402," accessed April 3, 2025
- ↑Vermont Election Law, "Title 17-49-2362," accessed April 3, 2025
- ↑usconstitution.net, "Vermont Constitution," accessed December 18, 2013(Referenced Section 15)
- ↑National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
- ↑Vermont Constitution, "Chapter II, Section 46," accessed February 4, 2021
- ↑Vermont General Assembly, "Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 17, § 2363," accessed September 16, 2025
- ↑Vermont State Legislature, “17 V.S.A. § 2561,” accessed November 20, 2025
- ↑17.017.117.217.3Vermont Secretary of State, "Voter Registration," accessed November 20, 2025
- ↑18.018.1Vermont Secretary of State, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed November 20, 2025
- ↑City of Burlington, Vermont, "City of Burlington All Legal Resident Voter Registration Form," accessed November 20, 2025
- ↑Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship.According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑Congress, "H.R.3295 - Help America Vote Act of 2002," accessed September 30, 2025
- ↑22.022.122.2Vermont Secretary of State, "Early & Absentee Voting," accessed November 20, 2025
