Nomination to run for office:  Towns that elect officers at a floor meeting nominate candidates during the meeting (a voter will nominate the candidate who can then accept or decline to run.) Towns that elect officers by Australian Ballot require candidates to submit a nominating petition signed by 30 voters or one percent of the checklist – whichever is less.  The petition must clearly indicate the office and term length on the petition prior to circulating it for signatures. 17 V.S.A. §2681(b). The nominating petition must be filed with the municipal clerk no later than 5:00 p.m. on the sixth Monday preceding the day of the election.

Nominating petitions may contain the name of only one candidate. Voters may not sign more than one petition for the same office, unless more than one nomination is to be made, in which case the voter may sign as many petitions as there are nominations to be made for the same office.

Sample Local Office Nominating Petition (Word document)

Sample Union School District Officer Nominating Petition (Word document)

Consent of Candidate. Candidates who are running in towns that vote officers by Australian Ballot must also file a written consent to the printing of the candidate's name on the ballot, no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday after the filing deadline for nominating petitions.

Sample Local Office Consent (Word document)

Campaign Finance Reporting Requirements. Candidates for local office who have accepted contributions or made expenditures of $500.00 or more for the purpose of influencing a local election or supporting or opposing one or more candidates in a local election must also file campaign finance reports 10 days before and 10 days after the local election with the municipal clerk. Political committees that have accepted contributions and made expenditures of $500.00 or more must file campaign finance reports 10 days before and 10 days after the local election with the municipal clerk and with the Secretary of State. (17 V.S.A. §2822).

Local Candidate Campaign Finance Form

Town Officers Take Office At Town Meeting. Newly elected town officers take office on town meeting day. Some officials must take an oath before they officially take office. This can be done by the clerk at town meeting, or at any time thereafter. 17 V.S.A. § 2646. An official who is required to take an oath of office (by either swearing or affirming) and who refuses to do so may not take office, thereby creating a vacancy.

Union School Officers (Clerk, Treasurer, Auditors, Etc.) Take Office On July 1st Except For Moderator. According to law, “union district officers elected at an annual meeting shall enter upon their duties on July 1 following their election and shall serve a term of one year or until their successors are elected and qualified, except that if the voters at an annual meeting so vote, moderators elected at an annual meeting shall assume office upon election and shall serve for a term of one year or until their successors are elected and qualified.” The law also provides that school directors elected at an annual meeting shall assume office upon election and shall serve a term of three years or until their successors are elected and qualified. 16 V.S.A. § 706k.