To the Editor:

A number of folks have asked me: “Why aren’t you on the primary ballot, Laura?” First things first, I will be on the ballot for the general election. On Tuesday November 4^th, voters in Dover, Readsboro, Searsburg, Somerset, Stamford, Wardsboro, and portions of Whitingham will be able to vote for me to represent our district in the Vermont House of Representatives.

The reason my name is not on the August 26^th primary ballot is that I am running as an independent. That means I have chosen to run without the backing of a major political organization. In my experience most Vermonters, though they may lean to the left or lean to the right, consider themselves to be politically independent like me. But I digress…

A primary election is so that political parties can select their candidate(s) for the general election. For the August 26^th primary, voters will only see candidates who are supported by what are considered the four “major” parties: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian and Progressive political parties. A primary is especially helpful if a party has more candidates running then contests for seats. For instance, there are four Democrats running for two seats in the Windham County Senate race. The Democrat party will support the two primary winners with money and volunteer time in the campaign leading up to the November 4^th general election.

So short story long, I am on the ballot for the November 4^th election that actually determines who will represent your interests in the House of Representatives. Hope this helps clear up any confusion! Feel free to call or email me at any time with other questions, all of my contact information can be found at www.laurasibiliavt.com

Sincerely,

Laura Sibilia