The Current Officeholder
The current Vermont Secretary of State is Sarah Copeland Hanzas, a Democrat who assumed office in January 2023. Born in Illinois but a Vermont resident since 1971, she has a long history of public service in the state. Before her election as Secretary of State, Copeland Hanzas served for 18 years in the Vermont House of Representatives, where she held roles including Majority Leader and Chair of the House Government Operations Committee. Her career also includes experience as a teacher, a high school coach, and the owner of a small business, The Local Buzz Cafe.
The Role of Chief Election Officer
As Secretary of State, Copeland Hanzas is the state's chief election officer. The Elections Division, which she oversees, is tasked with administering state and federal election laws,
promoting voter registration, and ensuring elections are free, fair, and accessible. This includes training local clerks on procedures, managing the statewide mailing of general election ballots, providing election equipment, and facilitating the final canvass of results. The office also handles campaign finance reporting and the disclosure of lobbying activities, aiming for transparency in the political process. In May 2024, Copeland Hanzas appointed Séan Sheehan as the new Director of Elections to head the division.
A Decentralized System
A key feature of Vermont's election system is its decentralized nature. While the Secretary of State's office provides central guidance and support, the actual administration of elections happens at the local level. The state's 247 town and city clerks are the frontline election officials. They are responsible for a host of critical duties, including maintaining local voter checklists, issuing absentee ballots, overseeing polling places on Election Day, and reporting unofficial results to the state. This partnership between the state office and local clerks is fundamental to the smooth operation of elections in Vermont.
Beyond the Ballot Box
The duties of the Vermont Secretary of State extend well beyond elections. The office is a multifaceted administrative hub for the state government. It includes the Office of Professional Regulation, which licenses and oversees nearly 50 different professions. The Business Services Division handles the registration of all business entities in the state. The Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA), another crucial part of the office, is responsible for preserving public records and the state's history. The office also manages the state's notary public system and oversees the publication of administrative rules for all state agencies.
A Leader in Voter Access
Vermont has earned a reputation for having one of the most accessible and secure voting systems in the nation. The state employs an all-mail voting system for general elections, automatically sending ballots to all active registered voters. During her time in the legislature, Copeland Hanzas was a key proponent of these reforms, helping make universal vote-by-mail permanent in 2021 after its successful implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The state also offers open primaries, early voting, and does not require a photo ID to vote, all policies aimed at reducing barriers to participation. The state's constitution itself mandates that "all elections ought to be free and without corruption."
