Vermont End the Residency Requirement to Vote Amendment (1974)

Ballot measures in Vermont
Constitutional amendments
Statutes referred by Legislature
Amending the Vermont Constitution
Vermont Constitution

A Vermont End the Residency Requirement to Vote Amendment was on the March 4, 1974 ballot in Vermont as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, where it was approved, becoming Article 47 of the Vermont Constitution.

The amendment accomplished two main things:

• It extended to 18-year-olds the "privileges of freemen" ..."in conformity with present law."
• The Vermont Constitution had included a one-year residency requirement as a condition for eligibility to vote. The courts had declared this qualification to be unconstitutional. This amendment removed that language from the constitution.

Section 34

SECTION 34. Every person of the full age of eighteen years who is a natural born citizen of this or some one of the United States, or who has been naturalized agreeably to the Acts of Congress, having resided in this State for the period established by the General Assembly and who is of a quiet and peaceable behavior, and will take the following oath or affirmation, shall be entitled to all the privileges of a freeman of this state:

You solemnly swear (or affirm) that whenever you give your vote or suffrage, touching any matter that concerns the State of Vermont, you will do it so as in your conscience you shall judge will most conduce to the best good of the same, as established by the Constitution, without fear or favor of any person.

See also

• List of amendments to the Vermont Constitution

External links

• Text of Proposal 7 from 1971