H 541 Vermont House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An act relating to interference with voters and election officials

H.541 adds criminal penalties for intimidating, threatening, or coercing voters or election officials to disrupt elections. It directly affects anyone who interferes with voters' right to vote privately or election workers' ability to conduct elections. The bill imposes fines up to $2,000 or up to two years in jail for such interference, including pressuring voters to support or oppose candidates. Enforcement allows state attorneys to investigate violations and seek court actions to stop election disruption.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2026

House Passage

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 6, 2026 Last action Feb 6, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

As Passed By the House (UnofficialOpens in a new window) → As Passed By the House (OfficialOpens in a new window) · 5 edits · Feb 4, 2026

MODERATE

The official version of H.541 renumbers the new interference section from 17 V.S.A. 1975 to 1973, narrows and refines the language of the interference prohibition, and adds an entirely new enforcement and investigation subchapter (Subchapter 4) granting the Attorney General and State's Attorneys broad civil investigative powers including document examination, compelled testimony under oath, and a $5,000 penalty for non-compliance. The most significant change is the addition of these civil enforcement mechanisms, which go well beyond the criminal penalties in the unofficial version.

SCOPE

The interference provision was renumbered from 17 V.S.A. 1975 to 17 V.S.A. 1973 and rewritten from a prohibition format ('No person shall intentionally or recklessly...') to a penalty format ('A person shall be imprisoned... if that person intimidates...'). The 'intentionally or recklessly' mental state qualifier was removed.

The scope of voter coercion was narrowed: 'public question' was removed from the list of things a voter can be coerced about (now only 'any candidate for public office'). However, 'candidate for public office' was added as a protected person who cannot be intimidated or threatened.

The purpose language for interfering with election officials changed from 'obstructing the administration of an election' to 'interfering with the preparation or operation of an election,' broadening it to cover pre-election activities like ballot preparation.

ENFORCEMENT

A new Subchapter 4 (Enforcement and Investigation) was added to 17 V.S.A. chapter 35, containing Section 2041 (allowing the AG or State's Attorney to bring injunctions and other proceedings) and Section 2042 (civil investigations). Section 2042 grants the AG or State's Attorney power to examine books and records, demand written responses under oath, require personal attendance for testimony, serve formal notice, and seek court orders for enforcement. Non-compliance carries a fine of up to $5,000, and disobedience of court orders is punishable as contempt.

TECHNICAL

A cover page was added with sponsor information (Reps. Goodnow of Brattleboro and Nugent of South Burlington), committee referral, and a statement of purpose describing the bill's goal of imposing criminal and civil penalties on persons who interfere with voters' right to vote or election officials.

As IntroducedOpens in a new window → As Passed By the House (UnofficialOpens in a new window) · 6 edits · Feb 4, 2026

MODERATE

The House significantly narrowed the bill by removing an entire enforcement and civil investigation subchapter, adding a mens rea requirement ('intentionally or recklessly'), and rewording key terms from 'interfering' to 'obstructing.' The passed version also expanded coverage to include public questions (referendums) while removing candidates as protected persons under the election-officials provision.

ENFORCEMENT

The entire Subchapter 4 (Enforcement and Investigation, sections 2041-2042) was deleted. This removed the Attorney General's and State's Attorneys' powers to conduct civil investigations, compel document production, require witness attendance, seek court enforcement orders, and impose a $5,000 fine for obstruction of investigations.

REQUIREMENT

A mens rea requirement of 'intentionally or recklessly' was added to the criminal offense in section 1975. The introduced version punished any person who intimidates, threatens, or coerces without requiring proof of intent or recklessness.

SCOPE

The term 'interfering with' was replaced by 'obstructing' in two places: the voter-intimidation provision and the election-officials provision. 'Obstructing' is generally a narrower legal standard than 'interfering with.'

'Or public question' was added after 'candidate for public office' in the voter-intimidation subsection, extending protection to voters who are being pressured about referendums or ballot questions, not just candidate elections.

ELIGIBILITY

'A candidate for public office' was removed from the list of protected persons in the election-officials subsection. Candidates can no longer be the basis for a charge under that provision; only public servants, election officials, and public employees remain protected.

TECHNICAL

The new section was renumbered from 17 V.S.A. section 1973 to section 1975, likely to accommodate other legislation added to the same chapter.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 6, 2026

Introduced

Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Judiciary

upper

Feb 3, 2026

Lower · Passed

Report of Committee on Judiciary agreed to

lower

Feb 3, 2026

Lower · Passed

Rep. Goodnow of Brattleboro reported for the Committee on Judiciary

lower

Feb 3, 2026

Introduced

Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Introduced

Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment

lower

Jan 7, 2026

Lower · Passed

Rep. Birong of Vergennes moved that the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs be relieved of the bill and that the same be committed to the Committee on Judiciary, which was agreed to

lower

Jan 6, 2026

Introduced

Read first time and referred to the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs

lower

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors