Update, 11/19: Thank you for voting your values on election day! The Reproductive Liberty Amendment (Prop 5) was approved by an overwhelming majority of voters, giving Vermont the strongest abortion rights protections in the country. In addition, nearly 90% of Vermont voters approved Proposal 2, which prohibits slavery in all forms in our state constitution.
Across the state, Vermonters elected candidates committed to finding solutions to the intersecting challenges we face as a state, and we look forward to working with them to enact smarter justice policies, reimagine policing, and advance racial and economic justice in our communities.
We all want to live in healthy, safe, vibrant communities where everyone is treated fairly and where our rights are respected.
And yet, our communities are struggling with serious challenges—racial and economic injustice, overdose deaths, lack of mental health resources, gun violence, and housing insecurity—all of which have been compounded by a global pandemic.
This year, we have the power to elect leaders who will advance bold solutions to these intersecting challenges. Explore some core values below and vote for candidates who are aligned with your vision for an equitable Vermont where everyone can thrive. Then, prepare to hold your leaders accountable for making the kind of change you want to see.
Reproductive Rights (Proposal 5)
The right to decide if—and when—to become a parent is central to an individual’s dignity and well-being. Vermonters this year can protect and affirm that fundamental right by voting to pass Proposal 5, a ballot measure in the 2022 midterm election.
In adding Article 22 to our state constitution, the Reproductive Liberty Amendment would enshrine reproductive freedom in Vermont by making it extremely difficult for a law infringing on these rights to go into effect, even if passed by the state legislature.
Prohibiting Slavery and Indentured Servitude (Proposal 2)
While Vermont claims to have been the first state to abolish slavery, our state constitution still permits it under certain conditions, which perpetuates a form of structural oppression that needs to end now.
Proposal 2 would prohibit slavery and indentured servitude in all forms in this state, no exceptions. By acknowledging our past and explicitly forbidding slavery in any form, we can build a foundation for our future that centers equity and justice for all of us.
Policing & Prisons
The people of Vermont want their elected officials to reduce our reliance on prisons, and to reimagine public safety for the sake of our communities.
Choose candidates who will advance smarter, data-informed criminal justice policies, reduce our reliance on prisons, and help ensure that police are transparent and accountable to the communities they serve.
Overdose Crisis
As Vermont communities experience record overdose deaths, the need for more effective harm reduction strategies and public health-centered approaches is all too apparent.
Vermont has a robust addiction treatment infrastructure. But accessible treatment is insufficient if we don’t keep our friends and neighbors alive long enough to access treatment when they are ready.
Elect leaders who will advance harm reduction strategies like funding overdose prevention sites, making naloxone and fentanyl test strips more easily available, and expanding medical treatment—not incarceration—for people experiencing substance abuse disorder.
Housing
Without a safe, affordable place to live, it can be nearly impossible to fulfill one’s potential. The number of people without permanent shelter doubled in Vermont during the pandemic, and people are turning down jobs in Vermont for lack of housing.
It is obvious we need to do more, from expanding pandemic-spurred rental assistance programs to regulating short-term rentals that take housing off the market for Vermont residents.
This election season, choose candidates with a vision for change who understand the critical role that housing plays in community health and security, and who believe that everyone in our state should have a safe place to live.
Mental Health
Vermont needs to significantly expand investments and strategies for addressing a statewide mental health crisis. Burlington police alone reported a ninety percent increase in mental health incidents over the past decade—and that is not something the police can or should be expected to solve.
Vote for candidates who understand the pivotal role of mental health care in the safety of our communities, and who believe—like 81 percent of Vermont voters—in using community-based alternatives for criminal offenses resulting from mental health conditions, substance misuse, and poverty.
"We the People" have the power to elect leaders whose vision, words, and deeds are consistent with our shared values as Vermonters. When we vote for our values, we show our leaders that our democracy is – and will always be – in our hands.
