PITTSFIELD BOARD OF CIVIL AUTHORITY AGENDA FOR BIENNIAL PURGE OF THE VOTER CHECKLIST
Tuesday August 22, 2023, 5pm Town Office
The Pittsfield Board of Civil Authority invites members of the public to attend this meeting either in person or electronically through TEAMS by calling 1-802-489-6334 and entering meeting code 179870979# or by clicking on this link: Click here to join the meeting
Agenda
Agenda Modifications:
Public Present:
New Business:
1.Biennial Purge of Voter Checklist
Challenging Voters: One of the most important duties of the Board of Civil Authority is to work with the
town clerk to maintain the voter registration checklist as accurately as possible. 17 V.S.A. §2150(d)(3)
authorizes the Board of Civil Authority, or the town clerk upon the request of the board, to send a “written
notice” (challenge letter) with a response form to any voter who the board believes may have moved out of the
town or city. A “challenge letter” simply states that the BCA believes the voter has moved out of town and
that the BCA is challenging the voter’s right to stay on the town voter checklist. The voter is asked to
complete the response form and return it (indicating that they have moved and should be removed from the
checklist or that they still reside in town and should remain on the checklist).
Whenever a BCA member becomes aware of a voter moving out of town, the BCA member should notify the
town clerk. The BCA should meet quarterly to approve challenge letters, or the BCA can authorize the town
clerk to send challenge letters on its behalf. The National Voting Rights Act of 1993 establishes the
procedures that all states must follow to keep the voter registration checklist accurate and to ensure voters are
not removed in error. After a challenge letter is sent, if the voter does not return the response form, and two
general elections have passed in which the voter has not voted, the BCA can direct the town clerk to purge the
voter from the checklist.
17 V.S.A. §2150(c) requires the BCA to conduct a review of the entire checklist, name-by-name, to consider
sending challenge letters to voters, by September 15 of each odd numbered year: “By September 15 of each
odd-numbered year the board of civil authority shall review the most recent checklist name by name and
consider, for each person whose name appears on the checklist, whether that person is still qualified to vote.” A
letter must be sent to the Elections Division certifying that this checklist review by the BCA has taken place.
Adjournment:
Tuesday August 22, 2023, 5pm Town Office
The Pittsfield Board of Civil Authority invites members of the public to attend this meeting either in person or electronically through TEAMS by calling 1-802-489-6334 and entering meeting code 179870979# or by clicking on this link: Click here to join the meeting
Agenda
Agenda Modifications:
Public Present:
New Business:
1.Biennial Purge of Voter Checklist
Challenging Voters: One of the most important duties of the Board of Civil Authority is to work with the
town clerk to maintain the voter registration checklist as accurately as possible. 17 V.S.A. §2150(d)(3)
authorizes the Board of Civil Authority, or the town clerk upon the request of the board, to send a “written
notice” (challenge letter) with a response form to any voter who the board believes may have moved out of the
town or city. A “challenge letter” simply states that the BCA believes the voter has moved out of town and
that the BCA is challenging the voter’s right to stay on the town voter checklist. The voter is asked to
complete the response form and return it (indicating that they have moved and should be removed from the
checklist or that they still reside in town and should remain on the checklist).
Whenever a BCA member becomes aware of a voter moving out of town, the BCA member should notify the
town clerk. The BCA should meet quarterly to approve challenge letters, or the BCA can authorize the town
clerk to send challenge letters on its behalf. The National Voting Rights Act of 1993 establishes the
procedures that all states must follow to keep the voter registration checklist accurate and to ensure voters are
not removed in error. After a challenge letter is sent, if the voter does not return the response form, and two
general elections have passed in which the voter has not voted, the BCA can direct the town clerk to purge the
voter from the checklist.
17 V.S.A. §2150(c) requires the BCA to conduct a review of the entire checklist, name-by-name, to consider
sending challenge letters to voters, by September 15 of each odd numbered year: “By September 15 of each
odd-numbered year the board of civil authority shall review the most recent checklist name by name and
consider, for each person whose name appears on the checklist, whether that person is still qualified to vote.” A
letter must be sent to the Elections Division certifying that this checklist review by the BCA has taken place.
Adjournment:
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