Editor’s note: The writer sent this to State Sens. Ruth Hardy and Chris Bray, and State Reps. Robin Scheu and Amy Sheldon, and cc’d the Independent.

Dear Legislators, I strongly urge Vermont to pass and implement legislation requiring the Secretary of State to ensure constitutional eligibility for public office, including the office of the president. This would include all constitutional requirements, including age, birth in the US, Amendment 14 Section 3, etc., as applicable. It is dangerous and chaotic at best for states to nominate or elect individuals for public office when they are in fact not constitutionally eligible, as well as an expensive waste of time and money, if not an abuse of Vermont voters’ trust that their vote matters.  

Please introduce and/or support legislation to this effect as quickly as possible, to take immediate effect, in time for Vermont’s primary in March, and if that’s not possible, before the general election in November, 2024. The legislature can act quickly if they want to. There are other states with laws to this effect that can be used as a model.

Please let me know where you stand on this and please keep the public apprised of the progress. Thank you.

Dorothy Mammen

Middlebury