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Vermont Plurality Vote for Governor Amendment (2016)
| Not on Ballot |
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| This measure was not put on an election ballot |
The Vermont Plurality Vote for Governor Amendment did not appear on the November 8, 2016 ballot in Vermont as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. The measure, upon voter approval, would have required that the winning candidate for the office of Vermont Governor receive a 40 percent or more plurality, rather than a 50 percent plus one majority, of votes in an election.[1]
Background
- See also: Vermont gubernatorial election, 2014
The proposed amendment, which was first proposed in 1874, received renewed attention following Vermont's 2014 gubernatorial election, in which no candidate received a majority of votes. Incumbent Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) received 46.4 percent of the vote, while his challenger, Scott Milne (R), received 45.1 percent. Under the Vermont Constitution, a winning candidate needs to receive a majority of votes or 50 percent plus one vote. Under the proposed amendment's plurality system, a winning candidate would have been the person who received the most and over 40 percent of the votes in an election. In 2014, Shumlin received a plurality of votes, but not a majority.[1]
Support
- Gov. Peter Shumlin (D)[2]
- Sen. William Doyle (R-Washington)[3]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amendment the Vermont Constitution
According to Section 72 of the Vermont Constitution, constitutional amendments must originate in the Vermont State Senate. An amendment must earn a two-thirds vote in the Senate, but only needs a majority vote of members of the Vermont House of Representatives. Once adopted by the senate and house, an amendment must then be considered again at the next biennial session of the Vermont General Assembly. The amendment must win a majority vote of both chambers when it is considered for this second time. Following this process, an amendment is certified for a ballot, where it must be approved by voters.
See also
Additional reading
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Vermont Public Radio, "Amendment Would Allow Gubernatorial Candidate To Win Without Majority," January 6, 2015
- ↑ The Barre Montpelier Times Argus, "Shumlin calls for plurality rule," January 6, 2015
- ↑ Bennington Banner, "Shumlin supports Doyle's proposal to amend constitution," January 6, 2015
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State of Vermont Montpelier (capital) |
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