An Act Relating to Minors in Voting Booth with Voter

AS PASSED BY SENATE S.8 1999 Page 1

AN ACT RELATING TO MINORS IN VOTING BOOTH WITH VOTER

It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:

Sec. 1. 17 V.S.A. § 2566 is amended to read:

§ 2566. MARKING BALLOTS

(a) On receiving his the ballots, the voter shall forthwith, and without leaving the polling place or going outside the guardrail, retire alone to one of the booths not occupied by any other person and prepare mark his or her ballots by marking in the appropriate square or place a cross (X) opposite the name of the candidate of his choice for each office, or by filling in the name of the candidate of his choice in the blank space provided. A voter shall not be allowed to occupy a booth more than five minutes when other voters are waiting to mark their ballots.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, minors may accompany the voter into the booth.

Sec. 2. 17 V.S.A. § 2522 is amended to read:

§ 2522. SAMPLE BALLOTS AND OFFICIAL VOTER INFORMATION

(a) Not less than ten days before the election, the town clerk shall post sample ballots and official voter information cards in at least two public places within the town and in or near the town clerk's office. If a town has more than AS PASSED BY SENATE S.8 1999 Page 2 one polling place and the polling places are not all in the same building, the sample ballot and official voter information cards shall be posted in at least two public places within each voting district and in or near the town clerk's office.

(b) The town clerk shall prepare the sample ballots by marking the words

SAMPLE BALLOT prominently at the top of official election ballots. In the case of voting machines, the town clerk shall prepare the sample ballots by preparing a form similar in layout and format to what appears in the voting machines.

(c) [Repealed.]

(d) Upon the request of any high school or other educational institution in the town, the town clerk shall deliver a sample ballot to the high school or educational institution.

(e) After sample ballots have been posted, the town clerk shall provide a voter with a sample ballot upon request.