Charlie Swanson's Petition Accepted

For those of you that may have wondered or may still be wondering what happened in regards to the petition, Donna Meunier has explained it as follows:

"Charles's Swanson petition to run for Selectboard was returned to me without the top portion filled out. It is the law that the top portions needs to be filled in before anyone signs the petition. There is a defective petition law that allows someone to correct the petition within 24 hours of the closing date and time to file petitions. I consulted with the Secretary of State Office to clarify what determines a petition to be defective and what is the procedure to correct a defective petition. What problems are created by letting someone re-file and choose which office or which term to file for after all other petitions have been submitted.

In talking to the Secretary of State's office as well as the Town Clerk's Association president it has brought this issue to everyone's attention. The law is very vague and does not cover many issues. It is being brought to the attention of Deborah Markowitz and possibly could be addressed by the legislature to clarify the law. Also I believe the Secretary of State's Office is being asked to give some guidance to all Town Clerks in Vermont on how to handle this issue within the current law.

The Secretary of State's Office has issued a decision to accept the new petition from Charles Swanson with the law as it is now written."