New guidance for policymakers and the public on defending fundamental freedoms post-election.
Contact: Emily Hagan-Howe, Communications Director, ACLU of Vermont, [email protected], 802-223-6304 x121
MONTPELIER, Vt. – With two weeks remaining before election day, the ACLU is calling on state leaders to anticipate threats to Vermonters’ civil liberties ahead of and following the 2024 general election. The nonpartisan organization has published detailed policy memos analyzing the civil liberties implications of a potential Trump or Harris administration, and is engaging legislators and other stakeholders to protect Vermonters’ constitutional rights this election season and beyond.
Falko Schilling, Advocacy Director, ACLU of Vermont: “We face sustained efforts to dismantle our democracy and strip away our most fundamental freedoms, and regardless of election outcome we will be ready. Vermont has some of the strongest protections for civil rights and civil liberties in the country, but there is more we must do to counter those who seek to turn back the clock on the progress we have made together.”
To prepare for a potential Trump administration and the objectives described in Project 2025, for example, the ACLU has issued recommendations for bolstering Vermonters’ data privacy, building on existing immigrants’ rights protections, and strengthening oversight of law enforcement.
The ACLU is urging policymakers to impose stronger restrictions on the use of state and local resources to aid in federal immigration actions; stop the use of Vermont prisons for ICE detentions; close loopholes that allow governments to circumvent warrant requirements; ban the use of dragnet “reverse warrants” that could be used to target people receiving reproductive health care or engaging in peaceful protest; and increase privacy protections for sensitive personal data that could be used to target people for activities that are legal under Vermont law.
Recognizing that Vermont’s ability to protect civil liberties will be determined by the state leaders that voters elect in November, the ACLU of Vermont launched a 2024 legislative voter guide on candidates’ civil liberties positions. To date, over sixty candidates have taken a “Smart Justice Pledge,” committing to support policies that reduce Vermont’s prison population and racial disparities in the criminal legal system.
The organization has also published a series of Know Your Voting Rights resources on how to vote in Vermont, with voting rights information for specific populations, including people who are experiencing homelessness, out-of-state college students, people who have language access needs, and people with disabilities, among others.
Lia Ernst, Legal Director, ACLU of Vermont: “The ACLU was built for this moment. Our legal, policy, and communications experts are prepared for the challenges that would arise under either a Trump or a Harris administration, and, come what may, we are ready to defend our democracy and our most cherished freedoms. We call on state leaders to build on recent victories here in Vermont, like the Reproductive Liberty Amendment, and to bolster state-level safeguards like our Fair and Impartial Policing Policy to better defend Vermonters’ constitutional rights from attack.”
With two weeks left until election day, the ACLU is encouraging voters who have not already mailed in their ballots to do so, or to consult with their municipal clerk’s office or visit their MyVoterPage on the Secretary of State’s website to confirm when and where to vote in person.
The ACLU will discuss state and national election plans in further detail at its annual membership meeting on Thursday, October 24. The meeting will be held via Zoom, and registration information is available here.
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