Editor’s Note: A Mea Culpa on H.474
There’s wrong—and then there’s wrong. And we got it way wrong in our original coverage of H.474.
Our previous article reported that the Vermont Senate was considering a bill that included a ranked-choice voting study, an electronic ballot return proposal, and extended write-in deadlines. That was all true—in the House-passed version of the bill. But what we missed was that the Senate committee stripped most of that language out in a full rewrite. What remains is a drastically narrowed bill.
We didn’t catch that change before publication. That’s on us.
The following is the corrected version of the article, followed by the original (now inaccurate) text for the sake of transparency.
We appreciate the readers—and the senator—who pointed it out.
— FYI Editor
The Vermont Senate is advancing a dramatically pared-down version of H.474, a bill originally pitched as a broad update to the state’s election laws. Key provisions that drew public attention—including a study on ranked-choice voting (RCV), a proposal to examine electronic ballot return, and controversial changes to write-in candidate rules—have all been removed from the current draft.
While the bill as introduced and passed by the House included more than a dozen policy changes and reports, the version now under consideration in the Senate is a significantly narrowed rewrite. According to the June 13 Senate calendar, the Government Operations Committee recommended “striking out all after the enacting clause” and replacing the text entirely—a move that effectively resets the bill’s scope.
🧹 What’s Been Removed
Among the provisions eliminated by the Senate amendment:
- Ranked-Choice Voting Study: The House version called for the Secretary of State to report on the feasibility of implementing RCV for presidential primaries. That section is gone.
- Electronic Ballot Return Study: Another section directed the Secretary of State to examine whether voters with disabilities, overseas military voters, or participants in the Address Confidentiality Program could return ballots electronically. Also removed.
- Write-In Filing Deadline Extension: The original bill would have allowed write-in candidates to file their consent forms as late as 7:00 p.m. on Election Day. That provision was cut.
- Campaign Finance and Reporting Changes: Most proposed changes related to candidate filings, treasurer disclosures, and contribution reporting have been taken out.
What remains is a much narrower bill with limited administrative updates that are still under review.
⚖️ Legislative Process at Work
The Senate’s decision to rewrite the bill appears to be a response to growing concerns among clerks, election officials, and constituents about the complexity and scope of the House version.
Sources close to the process told FYI that the Senate committee received input from both state and local officials who felt that some of the changes—particularly around RCV and electronic voting—were being rushed without sufficient vetting.
As a result, the Senate took the unusual but not unprecedented step of replacing the bulk of the bill with a leaner proposal that focuses on consensus updates rather than systemic changes.
📜 A Tale of Two Versions
Here’s a quick comparison between the versions:
| Provision | House Version | Senate Amendment |
|---|---|---|
| Ranked-Choice Voting Study | Included | Removed |
| Electronic Ballot Return Study | Included | Removed |
| Write-In Deadline Change | Allowed filings until 7:00 p.m. | Removed |
| Campaign Finance Reporting Changes | Included | Removed |
| Checklist Audits / Technical Fixes | Included | Some retained |
| Bill Scope | 40+ pages | Sharply reduced |
📬 What’s Next
H.474 is scheduled for a second reading in the Senate. If the full chamber approves the rewritten version, the bill will return to the House for reconsideration. At that point, the House can either accept the Senate’s changes or request a conference committee to negotiate a final version.
Vermonters following the bill should note that while many of the more controversial items have been stripped for now, the possibility remains that future legislation—or rulemaking—could revive some of these issues.
🗣️ Correction Note
An earlier version of this article stated that H.474 contained a study on ranked-choice voting and other policy changes. Those provisions were part of the bill as passed by the House but have since been removed by the Senate in its proposed amendment. We regret the error and have updated this article to reflect the most current version of the legislation.
Dave Soulia | FYIVT
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