Board for Registration of Voters

Board for Registration of Voters Tuesday, November 4, 2025, 6:00 PM, City Hall, 1st Floor Conference Room, 149 Church Street, Burlington, VT, 05401 OR remotely via Zoom. Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/93712437108 Meeting ID: 937 1243 7108 1. Call Meeting to Order 2. Agenda 2.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda 3. Announcements 4. Meeting Length 4.1. Set Meeting Length 5. Adopt Minutes 5.1. Motion to adopt previous meeting's minutes File Attachments 1. BRV Minutes 10/7/25 BRV Minutes 10/7/25.pdf 6. Public Forum 7. Clerk's Report 8. Approval of Voter Challenges 9. Board Member Expectations 9.1. Rules and Procedures for the Board for the Registration of Voters File Attachments 1. BRV Rules and Procedures - DRAFT BRV Rules and Procedures - DRAFT.docx 10. New Business 11. Adjournment Page 1 of 9 11.1. Motion to Adjourn Page 2 of 9  BURLINGTON BOARD FOR REGISTRATION OF VOTERS 1ST FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM, CITY HALL, 149 CHURCH STREET, BURLINGTON, VT 05401 OR REMOTELY VIA ZOOM MINUTES OF MEETING October 7, 2025 1. Call Meeting to Order 1. Call Meeting to Order Meeting called to order by Vice-Chair Michelle Lefkowitz at 6:00pm. Members Present: Janet Stambolian, Karen Rowell, Michelle Lefkowitz, Annie Schneider, Grace Grundhauser, Kevin Lewis, Lauren Ebersol, Adam Franz, Colleen Montgomery, Jeanne Keller, Lesley Gendron, and Youth Member Will Cunningham Members Absent: Alison Harte Others Present: Sarah Montgomery, Assistant City Clerk 2. Agenda 2. Agenda 2.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda 2.1. Motion to amend/adopt agenda Agenda approved unanimously. 3. Announcements 3. Announcements There were no announcements. 4. Meeting Length 4. Meeting Length 4.1. Set Meeting Length 4.1. Set Meeting Length The meeting length was set to one hour. 5. Adopt Minutes 5. Adopt Minutes Subject File Attachments 1. 9/2/25 BRV Minutes 9/2/25 BRV Minutes.pdf 5.1. Motion to adopt previous meeting's minutes Page 3 of 9 Karen Rowell made a motion to adopt the minutes. Seconded by Adam Franz. Approved unanimously. 6. Public Forum 6. Public Forum No members of the public were present. 7. Clerk's Report 7. Clerk's Report Sarah Montgomery reported that there are currently 29,231 registered voters in Burlington. Out of this total, 5,100 are currently challenged. In September:180 voters registered to vote, 52 voters were removed from the checklist, and 101 voters were transferred from Burlington to other Vermont towns. Sarah reported that the final district boundary audit was submitted to the state. Based on feedback from the board, additional information about participation of the affected voters was added to the report, better showing the impact of the incorrect assignments. 8. Approval of Voter Challenges 8. Approval of Voter Challenges Annie Schneider made a motion to approve the proposed voter challenges. Seconded by Jeanne Keller. Approved unanimously. 9. Board Member Expectations 9. Board Member Expectations Subject File Attachments 1. BRV Rules and Procedures - DRAFT BRV Rules and Procedures - DRAFT.docx 9.1. Rules and Procedures for the Board for the Registration of Voters Grace Grundhauser explained that this document has been in draft format for many years. The board is now discussing and updating it, specifically in regard to board member participation expectations. Grace suggested that the board approve it and keep track of the approved revision dates on the document. Grace Grundhauser asked Sarah Montgomery if this document should be approved by the attorney's office. Sarah Montgomery agreed that it could. Jeanne Keller asked if there should be more specific language about election day attendance — making it more explicit what the expectations are for attending elections. Will Cunningham agreed that there should be some more defined structure. Lauren Ebersol agreed, and suggested it be framed similarly to the meeting attendance requirements. Janet Stambolian asked what the context for making these changes to the attendance expectations is. Grace Grundhauser said that the rules and procedures didn't previously make it clear that election day attendance was necessary, but when she looked at statute, she realized that BRV members are required to be at the polling places because they have authority to determine election day voter registration eligibility. She also noted that there are more members than polling places, so in theory, not everyone will always need to work on election day, which is why she drafted language indicating members should be available. Adam Franz asked what the previous expectations had been. Lauren Ebersol proposed adding a sentence that says "inability to be available on election day is subject to review." Karen Rowell suggested increasing the allowance to 3 missed elections before reviewing, since there will inevitably be valid reasons for members to be unavailable for a single election. Members asked if, when thinking about the threshold of 3 missed elections, the missed elections should be consecutive or total. Karen Rowell suggested consecutive. Other members noted that a member could go a really long time without attending an election if the threshold was 3 consecutive elections missed. Jeanne Keller noted that in her original proposal, she wanted the process to be more objective, so it would be an automated process, rather than a member needing to initiate it. Grace Grundhauser noted that she added into the draft a semi-automatic trigger that would allow members to anonymously add an agenda item to a meeting if a member had missed enough meetings/elections. Colleen Montgomery said she does not like Page 4 of 9 the idea of 3 consecutive elections because members could miss elections frequently, but never meet the threshold for board discussion. She added that the proposed semi-automatic trigger still puts the onus on the individual board members to report the absences and add the discussion item to an agenda. Kevin Lewis agreed that he understood that the purpose of the policy would be to automatically add the item to the agenda, so an individual member would not be required to take action — he would support the processes being fully automatic to add the discussion to an agenda, even if it would sometimes end up being a formality and the absences excused by the board. Michelle Lefkowitz added that all members should be able to work the elections — even if that meant doubling-up at a polling place. Other members noted that members could also do shorter shifts to allow everyone the opportunity to work. Lesley Gendron said that one election might be too harsh — she recommended two missed elections might be the right number. Lauren Ebersol asked if Grace purposely removed the language about "excused absences" from the draft procedure. Grace Grundhauser said she removed it intentionally to make the policy simpler and more concise. Adam Franz said he thinks any absence should be communicated, so he feels comfortable saying any unexcused absence would be discussed. Will Cunningham said that people's lives are too subjective and circumstantial to define absences as excused or unexcused - he thinks it should be two consecutive missed elections, with an automatic trigger to discuss at the next meeting. Janet Stambolian added that if people aren't showing up to do the work that they have agreed to do, it warrants a discussion. Annie Schneider made a motion to change the language to: If you miss 2 consecutive elections, there will be an automatic trigger to discuss at the next meeting, with the board discussing whether the absences are excused during the meeting. Adam Franz made a friendly amendment to edit the language to miss two elections in a two-year period. Annie Schneider accepted the amendment. Grace Grundhauser said that election attendance would be tracked in the minutes of the meeting following the election. She asked if this would be triggered if a member was not needed for a certain election. Lesley Gendon stated that everyone should have the opportunity to work at every election. Kevin Lewis suggested that any excused absence (like having a baby) could be recorded in the minutes prior to the meeting. Grace Grundhauser said she feels that might muddy things. Grace Grundhauser wanted to clarify if the board agrees that everyone will be expected to work every election. Annie Schneider made a motion to call the question. Seconded by Adam Franz. Question called. Question: Include in the expectations an automatic trigger to add an agenda item for board discussion if a member misses 2 elections within a 2-year period. In Favor: Adam Franz, Lauren Ebersol, Karen Rowell, Grace Grundhauser, Annie Schneider, Jeanne Keller, Colleen Montgomery, Kevin Lewis, Lesley Gendron, Janet Stambolian Opposed: Michelle Lefkowitz Motion passed. Jeanne Keller made a motion that the review process for non-participation be modified in accordance with the discussion and be brought back to the board next month for further review. Seconded by Colleen Montgomery. Passed unanimously. Grace Grundhauser will amend the draft document per the discussion and present at the next meeting. 10. New Business 10. New Business Karen Rowell said there will be action requested of the City Council about the recent BRV member appointment decision, because she feels she should not be the only Republican on the board. She stated that Page 5 of 9 the City Council should have appointed the conservative applicant who applied. She stated that there should be 3 Republicans on the board, and it is not fair that the conservative applicant was not appointed by City Council. She noted that 37% of the voters in Burlington voted for President Trump, and they should be represented by the board. She stated that she is suing the city for non-citizen voting, and that she felt attacked by the board after a resolution regarding that was adopted. She stated that she is in support of legal immigration. She shared that it is difficult speaking about issues with the board, when everyone else has opposing political views. Will Cunningham said that he thinks that it is a good idea to add Republicans to the board — he asked how that would happen logistically. Annie Schneider noted that she is hearing the hurt and anger from Karen Rowell. Annie noted that it seems that City Council followed the procedures correctly because the applicant was not listed as a Republican. Grace Grundauser said that she heard Annie saying that the letter of the law was followed, but also heard Karen saying that the spirit of the law was not followed. Jeanne Keller noted that the quality of the applicant should also be considered — she does not believe that the City Council deserves the criticism being directed at them. Grace Grundhauser noted that conversations within the board are welcome, but discouraged back and fourths between individual members. Will Cunningham agreed that political representation is important, and he noted that the rule about political party requirements is to avoid subjective decisions by the appointing board. He asked what action was being asked of the board. Karen Rowell said that the request for action is being brought to City Council, not to the BRV. Annie Schneider said that despite political differences, she appreciates working with Karen Rowell on this board. Grace Grundhauser echoed the sentiment. Karen Rowell said it takes courage to speak up in this group, and it can be intimidating. Colleen Montgomery made a motion to extend the meeting by 5 minutes. Seconded by Janet Stambolian. Motion passed. Janet Stambolian asked why Jeff Comstock ran as an Independent. Karen Rowell answered that it is because being a Republican in Burlington is toxic. She noted that Jeff Comstock was a ward clerk and is well qualified. Colleen Montgomery asked about rules for party representation on the board. Grace Grundauser explained that if there is an applicant from an underrepresented major party, City Council should appoint that member. 11. Adjournment 11. Adjournment 11.1. Motion to Adjourn 11.1. Motion to Adjourn Annie Schneider made a motion to adjourn. Seconded by Lauren Ebersol. Passed unanimously. Page 6 of 9 Rules and Procedures for the Board for the Registration of Voters (Proposal 6-1-2021) PURPOSE: The Board for Registration of Voters is committed to the enfranchisement of eligible residents through the voting process. Voting is a right and responsibility. The Board encourages voter registration and acknowledges the right of voters to freely participate in elections. The Board may actively initiate and participate in voter registration outreach. The Board’s legal responsibility is to maintain the voting checklist for the City of Burlington by upholding the Vermont Election Laws (Title 17 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated). AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The Board for Registration of Voters is responsible for and has authority for all duties with respect to preparing The City of Burlington’s voter checklist pursuant to chapters 14, 15, 16 and 43 of the City’s Charter, and Title 17 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated. The Board shall comply with the Vermont Open Meeting Law and other laws covering public bodies. In order to effectively and justly carry out its responsibilities all members will be expected to familiarize themselves with the Vermont Election Law in Title 17 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated, along with pertinent sections of the Burlington City Charter. The Board will maintain an office in City Hall, wherein shall be kept available for public inspection the records of all legal voters. The Board shall advise any petitioner affected by an adverse decision of his or her statutory right to be included in the list of legal voters to seek judicial review of such decision. MEMBERSHIP: As established by the City-Charter, the Board for Registration of Voters shall consist of 12 registered Voters of the City of Burlington, appointed by the City Council, with the Mayor presiding. Appointments to the Board for Registration of Voters shall be for five (5) years. Members may reapply and may be appointed for successive terms without limitation. Members of the Board may be removed for incapacity, negligence, or bad conduct when a majority of the City Council, Mayor presiding vote to remove the member pursuant to Chapter 129 of the Burlington City Charter. In addition and pursuant to this same section, when in the judgment of two-thirds of the City Council, on the initiative of the Mayor, a member is no longer effectively serving the city, that member may be removed from the Board. Therefore because members are expected to actively participate in city elections, meetings and other Board activities, a member’s continued non-participation in Board activities may result in the Board’s recommendation to the City Council for removal from the Board. MEETING ATTENDANCE: Any member who is absent from three (3) or more regular meetings within any rolling twelve (12) month period shall be subject to review. Attendance is documented in the official minutes. ELECTION COVERAGE: Each polling place must be staffed by a Board member during all hours the polls are open on election day (7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.). This obligation arises from state law and the Burlington City Charter: 17 V.S.A. § 2144 requires that voter registration and eligibility issues on Election Day be referred to members of the board of civil authority (or equivalent Page 7 of 9 body) present at the polling place; and Burlington City Charter § 43 delegates those checklist duties to the Board for Registration of Voters. Accordingly, physical presence at each polling place is a legal responsibility of this Board. Each member must remain generally available and willing to serve as assigned. The Clerk shall record in the official minutes of the next regular meeting which members provided polling place coverage for every election. Any member who is absent from two (2) or more elections within any two (2) year period shall be subject to review. REVIEW PROCESS FOR NON-PARTICIPATION: Any member who has reached the meeting or election attendance threshold above shall be subject to review. The member’s record shall be automatically included on the proposed agenda for the next regular meeting. The item shall remain on the agenda unless removed through a formal amendment during agenda adoption at that meeting. The Board shall then consider whether to recommend to the City Council that the member be removed and the vacancy advertised. The Board may not remove a member directly, but may only recommend removal to the City Council, which retains sole authority over appointments and vacancies. A two-third majority vote of the Board is required for such a recommendation to the City Council. OFFICERS: At the first meeting of the Board, following the annual appointments, the Board shall elect a Chair by majority vote. A Vice Chair and Secretary may be elected at the discretion of the Board. Terms of office shall be one year. QUORUM: A simple majority of the Board shall be considered a quorum MEETINGS AND MINUTES: The Board for Registration of Voters shall hold meetings on the first Tuesday of each month unless otherwise determined by a majority vote of the Board. Additional meetings are scheduled to accommodate closing of the checklist prior to elections (Vermont Statute Annotated, Title 17). All meetings of the Board shall be open to the public except at such times when an executive session is in order. No action shall be taken at any meeting of the Board without a quorum present. No action shall be taken in executive session. (See open meeting law) Roberts Rules of Order revised shall govern proceedings of the Board for all cases which are not specifically covered by other laws, ordinances, by-laws, or regulations. Minutes shall be kept of all meetings. The minutes shall be available for public inspection according to open meeting laws. WARNINGS OF MEETINGS: In accordance with Vermont Open Meeting Law, the Board shall provide the Clerk / Treasurer’s Office with notice of regular meetings on or before the Thursday before the week of the meeting. The Clerk / Treasurer’s Office will warn the meeting. For special meetings, the Board shall publicly announce at least 24 hours before the meeting the time, place and purpose with appropriate media and post with the Clerk / Treasurer’s office and two other public places. Emergency meetings may be held without public announcement, without posting notices and without 24 hours notices to members, provided some public notice is given as soon as possible before such meeting. Page 8 of 9 SPECIAL MEETINGS: Special meetings of the Board for Registration of Voters may be called by the Chair, when the Chair deems it expedient or upon the request of two (2) members of the Board for the purpose of transacting any business designated in the call. In accordance with Vermont Open Meeting Law, Notice for a special meeting may be made by telephone or other appropriate technology at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the date of such special meeting. At such special meeting no business shall be voted on other than that specified in the call. ADOPTION OF RULES AND PROCEDURES: The Board may adopt rules and procedures as it may deem wise for the regulation of its work. Rules may be amended by a two-thirds majority provided that the proposed amendment(s) have been discussed at two meetings prior to the meeting at which the amendment(s) will be voted upon. These Rules and Procedures were adopted by a two-thirds vote of the Board for Registration of Voters at its meeting on ___________________. Page 9 of 9