Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Election Day is tomorrow Tuesday, November 3. If you have already voted, thank you. If you have not, I hope to see you at the polls tomorrow.
As we head into November, I’m sharing voting information, a response to concerns about discarded ballots, upcoming office hours, some key infrastructure meetings and notices and a few updates from our region and Montpelier.
Please remember to vote
Polls close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 3. You can register to vote through Election Day.
If you still have your mail ballot, return it directly to your town’s designated ballot return location or polling place. It is too late to count on the mail. Be sure to sign the certificate envelope.
If your ballot has not arrived or you cannot find it, contact your town clerk. You can still vote.
What about ballots discarded at the post office?
I have recently heard a concern that someone could collect discarded ballots from the post office and return them as another person’s vote. That would be fraud. If you have specific information about this happening, please report it to your town clerk. In the unlikely event this happens, it would require getting past all of the checks outlined below:
A returned mail in ballot must be inside a certificate envelope identifying the voter, with a signed statement affirming their eligibility. Someone using another person’s ballot would have to falsely sign that statement. Election officials check eligibility, the certificate and whether the voter has already voted. An additional ballot is rejected; if the real voter tries to vote afterward, the earlier return would flag a problem requiring investigation.
Our local Boards of Civil Authority and town clerks regularly review voter checklists for people who have died, moved or otherwise become ineligible, following the required process for updating voting records. In our small towns, clerks and election workers usually know their neighbors, providing another opportunity to spot problems. You can also check your ballot status through Vermont’s voter portal. If it shows a ballot returned that you did not submit, contact your clerk immediately.
Thank you for your support
In this election, I am pleased to be endorsed by Sierra Club Vermont, Vermont Conservation Voters, VPIRG Votes, Planned Parenthood Vermont, Freedom From Religion Fund and the Vermont-NEA.
Some of these endorsements I sought because I generally support the organizations’ work and want voters to know that, some the organization endorsed me without asking. I want to be clear, I have voted against legislation supported by every organization on this list. These advocacy groups are endorsing my candidacy, not receiving my agreement on every issue.
Since 2014, I still do not take PAC money. My responsibility remains to the people of Dover, Jamaica, Somerset, Stratton and Wardsboro, and to making decisions I can explain and defend.
Two opportunities to weigh in this Thursday
Two public events on Thursday, November 5 give residents a chance to help shape local and regional decisions. Unfortunately, their times overlap.
Wardsboro Turns Up, 6–8:30 p.m., Wardsboro Town Hall, 99 Main Street. Join Wardsboro neighbors for a free dinner and help develop plans for more community events and connections, recreation, trails and river access. Everyone is welcome, whether or not you attended the earlier sessions. Details here.
Windham Regional Plan public hearing, 6 p.m., in Brattleboro or online. The Windham Regional Commission is taking public input on its revised regional plan, including housing, land use and maps covering all five of our towns. These plans help guide where and how development happens. I encourage residents to look at their town’s map and share questions or concerns.
The hearing is at 139 Main Street, Suite 505, Brattleboro, with remote participation available. Review the plan and town maps here and find meeting access through the WRC website. If you cannot attend, you can send comments to mbachler@windhamregional.org.
Changes to home phone service: Plan for power outages
Some residents are receiving notices from Fidium, formerly Consolidated Communications, about replacing traditional copper telephone service with fiber-based phone service. State notices have identified affected customers in the Jamaica, Stratton and Wardsboro telephone exchanges. This does not mean every household in those towns is being switched at once.
Fiber can improve service, but there is an important difference: a traditional corded phone on a copper line usually works when household power is out. Fiber-based phone service needs electricity at your home and backup power to keep working during an outage.
For households without reliable cell service, this deserves particular attention.
If you receive a notice, ask Consolidated/Fidium:
- Will my phone work during an outage, and for how long?
- Is backup power included? Who pays for and replaces the batteries?
- Will my medical alert, fire alarm or security system still work?
A backup battery for phone service may not power your cordless phone or other connected devices. Tell the installer about any equipment that uses your phone line and have it tested after installation.
Please contact me if you are having ANY difficulty getting answers or arranging the transition.
Read the Department of Public Service’s guidance on the copper-to-fiber transition.
My latest commentary: Both branches need to be at the table
Large data centers and AI are moving quickly. Decisions about them can affect electric bills, water, public information and the security of government systems.
In my latest op-ed, I explain why Vermont needs the administration and Legislature working together before commitments are made, in a way that is transparent to Vermonters.
I introduced H.727 to strengthen protections for Vermonters with large data center development. I have also been asking questions of the Scott Administration about Vermont’s participation in an AI cybersecurity initiative associated with Project Glasswing: Who authorized it? What agreements were signed? What information could be accessed? Who is responsible if something goes wrong?
Those are basic oversight questions. This technology is advancing rapidly, and we need answers while they can still inform decisions.
The Legislature and the Governor can disagree about policy and agree to change proposals when the evidence supports it. Governing requires showing up, answering questions in public and working through those disagreements in good faith.
Read “Vermonters Need Both Branches at the Table on Tech Policy.”
Upcoming office hours
Please stop by with questions, concerns or an idea.
- Dover Free Library: Saturday, November 7, 11 a.m.–noon
- Jamaica community gathering on route 30 or Town Office in inclement weather: Wednesday, November 11, 6 p.m.
- Wardsboro Library: Thursday, November 19, 6–7 p.m.
If these times do not work for you, please reach out.
Changes for electric vehicle owners
Vermont is preparing to replace the current battery-electric vehicle infrastructure fee with a mileage-based fee. As vehicles use less gasoline, or none at all, the state needs another way for drivers to contribute to transportation funding and the maintenance of our roads.
The Agency of Transportation’s September report describes mileage reporting beginning in 2027, generally with a vehicle’s first annual inspection that year. Most continuing owners would receive their first assessment in 2028. Selling a covered vehicle in 2027 could trigger an earlier assessment.
The initial framework uses odometer readings already collected through inspections. It includes mileage-based and flat-rate options, with a maximum annual assessment of $178. Timing and credits will affect individual bills.
Read the public outreach and education report.
Mount Snow targets November 21 opening
Mount Snow is targeting Saturday, November 21, for opening day, weather and conditions permitting.
For those working on the mountain and in businesses throughout the valley, preparations are well underway. Thank you to everyone getting ready to welcome another winter season!
October Fiscal Focus
For those who want a closer look at state fiscal information, October Fiscal Focus is available here.
Thank you for your questions and your participation. Please vote, and please stay in touch.
If you need help with state services, please reach out. I do not have staff and I work year-round, so if you do not hear back in a day or two, please follow up or send a text. If you find my work useful and are able to support it, you can do that here.
Thank you for staying engaged and staying in touch!
Rep. Laura Sibilia
Windham-2 District (Dover, Jamaica, Somerset, Stratton, Wardsboro)
Email: lsibilia@leg.state.vt.us
Phone: (802) 384-0233
Sibilia Announces Campaign for Reelection to Represent Windham-2
What a great Gilfeather Turnip Festival this year! It was really wonderful to have Governor Scott and Senator Wendy Harrison stop in. I was particularly excited to have been asked to judge this year’s winner with Congresswoman Becca Balint who helped us make this the state vegetable. These types of events take an enormous amount of volunteer time, patience and heart. THANK YOU THANK YOU to all the Wardsboro folks who invest in their town and our state vegetable’s signature event year after year – you do Wardsboro proud!
Discover more from Vermont State Representative Laura Sibilia
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