by Polly Lynn
posted
Mar 1, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, is Town Meeting Day in Vermont, when voters
will elect local officials and vote on town and school budgets.
Towns, opting for the Australian Ballot (or secret ballot,) often
hold informational meetings on the Monday prior to help clarify
questions voters may have about the articles on the Town Meeting
Warning. By 7 p.m. Tuesday, polls across the state will
close.
Tuesday, March 6 is also the day Vermonters get to vote on their
candidate for the Presidential Primary. President Barack Obama is
the only candidate running on the Democratic side. Mitt Romney, Ron
Paul, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman
will all appear on the Republican ticket.
Romney is expected to win Vermont, but the margin of his victory is
relevant. Under a new rule adopted by Vermont's Republican Party
(and in effect for the first time this election cycle) a winner
needs a majority of the votes cast or delegates will be awarded to
candidates on a proportional basis.
Therefore, if the other Republican candidates together, hold Romney
to less than 50 percent, it may slow his progress toward the
eventual Republican nomination.
Polling results released Monday, February 27, by the Castleton
Polling Institute at Castleton State College showed Romney may have
trouble reaching that 50% threshold. According to those polls,
Romney has support from 34 percent of likely Republican primary
voters in Vermont; Santorum has 27 percent; Paul has 14 percent and
Newt Gingrich has 10 percent.
Turnout for Vermont's primary is expected to be low as there has
been very little campaigning effort in Vermont and none of the
candidates has yet visited the state.
Tagged:
Election, town meetings, Vote, budget, president
