Vermont’s Secretary of State has issued a scathing criticism of an executive order on elections by President Donald Trump.
Under the federal order, voters, including Vermonters, would be required to re-verify their citizenship status in person at town clerk’s offices. Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas notes that the order also requires proof of identity from people who have married and changed their name. States that do not comply with those and other provisions in the order could lose federal funding and elections officials could be prosecuted.
Copeland Hanzas, a Democrat, says it is a thinly veiled effort to “disenfranchise voters, intimidate elections workers, and defund the functioning of our democracy” and adds her office will pursue all options to guarantee the integrity and accessibility of elections.
