Trying to Start New Minor Political Party in Vermont, Wanna Join?

Hi! I am trying to start a new minor political party in Vermont.

I need 40 people, 4 from each of ten towns, and they have to be registered Vermont voters.

They will create 10 town committees and have a zoom meeting or meet in person.

United States Marijuana Party
ru18vote@gmail.com

Please respond soon if you are appalled at the news story about a person in Vermont
who was denied some unemployment benefits because his employer drug tested him
under federal law, and he was positive for medical marijuana,
which is legal under Vermont law,
and which he did not use at work.

https://www.acluvt.org/en/news/skoric-v-department-labor

To be certified as a minor political party in Vermont, out of each of ten
town committees, one person needs to join the state committee.
The state committee meets by zoom or in person and votes for candidates for
United States Senator
Representative to Congress
Governor
Lt. Governor
Auditor
Treasurer
Attorney General
and Secretary of State.
Candidates nominated by a minor political party do not have to submit
ballot access petition signatures.

Each of the town committees and the state committee selects members
to be chair, 2nd chair, treasurer and secretary.
The town committee members have to live in the same town or an
adjacent town.
Basically, I need a minimum of 40 Vermont registered voters.

There are two out-of-state candidates who would like to be on the Vermont ballot
for President and Vice President, but they would have to come here and collect
1,000 petition signatures to be on a Minor party ballot.
All other candidates on a Minor party ballot do not have to collect
ballot access petition signatures, they just have to be voted for nomination
to be on the ballot by the state or town committee.

The Legal Marijuana Now party of Minnesota did have Major political
party status until last month, May 2024, when the Democrat Farmer Labor
party filed in the Minnesota Supreme Court against the Minnesota
Secretary of State for allowing them to have Major party status.
So, now they are collecting petition signatures to get on the ballot in
Minnesota as a Minor party or independents. MN has the 3 word rule
like Vermont, so they can keep using “Legal Marijuana Now” as their
party name.

I still don’t know if they will manage to get here to Vermont
in time.

Houle, Mark
Tue, May 28, 1:21 PM (5 days ago)
to me, dennis@dsproductions.com, fourtwentyjake@fourtwentyjake.com, thorfiona@yahoo.com, Rudy, shereekrider@usmjparty.com, donnap@sover.net, SOS

Hello Cris:

Q: What is the timeframe for qualifying as a Minor Party with ballot access in Vermont?

A: There is no statutory deadline. Thursday, August 8th is the deadline for Minor Party candidates to be filed with the Secretary of State’s Office. A potential Minor Party would need to achieve approved certified Minor Party status by that date. This would require organization in ten (10) towns, a properly organized coordinated state committee filing, and a properly conducted nomination process. Practically speaking, there are notice provisions and turnaround times that would require probably a bare minimum of 16 days to coordinate.

I do NOT see the following anywhere:
“and files a statement with the secretary of state no later than the second Tuesday after the first Monday in June of the election year.”

Everything else looks alright, but I do not see this line.

*The information provided is intended solely for general guidance and does not constitute legal advice. This office is not responsible for any actions you take or do not take because of the guidance provided.

Sincerely,

Mark

Mark P Houle, Esq.
Elections Administrator III

Vermont Secretary of State’s Office

128 State Street

Montpelier, VT 05633-1101

(802) 828 – 2304 (Direct)

mark.houle@vermont.gov

https://sos.vermont.gov/elections