Town Meeting Day is Tuesday, March 2, and quickly approaching. We track 15 towns and cities that will have retail opt-in on this year’s ballot. But, with the pandemic still in full swing, the State is encouraging municipalities to practice safe election protocols, such as encouraging mail-in voting, even allowing towns to postpone Town Meeting Day until Spring.

What Is Town Meeting Day, and How Will It Be Different This Year?

Vermont is one of the few states left in our nation that offers its residents direct democracy through civic engagement in the form of an annual Town Meeting Day. In Vermont, Town Meeting Day usually means residents gather to deliberate on important matters, such as budget issues and public works, as bake sales and community tabling adorn with familiar charm. This year will be different, however, with the pandemic still in full swing, most towns and cities are choosing to follow the State’s COVID-19 safe election guidelines, such as mailing each registered voter a ballot or postponing until Spring. According to a recent VTDigger article, Marshfield, Plainfield, St. Johnsbury and Winhall have rescheduled Town Meeting Day for April, with other towns are reportedly considering the idea.

Which Towns Approved Retail Opt-in for Town Meeting Day This Year?

Despite the fact that this year’s Town Meeting Day is shaping up to look like the 2020 general election, when most towns and cities discouraged in-person gathering and followed the State’s COVID-19 safe election guidelines, Vermont’s new taxation and regulation law, Act 164, is moving forward and retail opt-in is still an important local matter for each town and city to consider this year. To date, we’ve confirm a total of 15 towns and cities approved retail opt-in for this year’s Town Meeting Day ballot, they are: Bennington, Brandon, Brattleboro, Burlington, Danville, Lyndon, Middlebury, Montpelier, Peacham, Pownal, Richmond, Saint Johnsbury, Strafford, Waterbury, and Winooski.

Since each municipality has their own protocol for voting in Town Meeting Day, this year, and to help make voting a little easier, below we outline the different voting information for each of the 15 towns and cities that will have retail opt-in on this year’s Town Meeting Day ballot.

Bennington
Early absentee ballots will automatically be mailed to all active voters in Bennington. You do not need to call to request a ballot. If you’re a resident and wish to request a ballot, or want more information on voting in Bennington, this year, use this link. Here’s Bennington’s 2021 Town Meeting Day sample ballot that includes the retail opt-in question.

Brandon
Early absentee ballots will automatically be mailed to all active voters in Brandon. You do not need to call to request a ballot. If you wish to participate in the virtual Town Meeting Day, or want more information on voting in Brandon, this year, use this link. Here’s Brandon’s 2021 Town Meeting Day sample ballot that includes the retail opt-in question.

Brattleboro
You may request an early absentee ballot or vote in-person on Town Meeting Day, on March 2, in Brattleboro. Early absentee ballots are not automatically mailed-out to Brattleboro residents. If you wish to request a ballot, or want more information on voting in Brattleboro, this year, use this link. Here’s Brattleboro’s 2021 Town Meeting Day sample ballot that includes the retail opt-in question.

Burlington
Early absentee ballots will automatically be mailed to all active voters in Burlington. You do not need to call to request a ballot. If you’re a resident and wish to request a ballot, or want more information on voting in Burlington, this year, use this link. Here’s Burlington’s 2021 Town Meeting Day sample ballot that includes the retail opt-in question.

Danville
You may request an early absentee ballot or vote in-person on Town Meeting Day, on March 2, in Danville. Early absentee ballots are not automatically mailed-out to Danville residents. If you wish to request a ballot, or want more information on voting in Danville, this year, use this link. Here’s Danville’s 2021 Town Meeting Day sample ballot that includes the retail opt-in question.

Lyndon
You may request an early absentee ballot or vote in-person on Town Meeting Day, on March 2, in Lyndon. Early absentee ballots are not automatically mailed-out to Lyndon residents. If you wish to request a ballot, or want more information on voting in Lyndon, this year, use this link. Here’s Lyndon’s 2021 Town Meeting Day sample ballot that includes the retail opt-in question.

Middlebury
You may request an early absentee ballot or vote in-person on Town Meeting Day, on March 2, in Middlebury. Early absentee ballots are not automatically mailed-out to Middlebury residents. If you wish to request a ballot, or want more information on voting in Middlebury, this year, use this link. Here’s Middlebury’s 2021 Town Meeting Day sample ballot that includes the retail opt-in question.

Montpelier
You may request an early absentee ballot or vote in-person on Town Meeting Day, on March 2, in Montpelier. Early absentee ballots are not automatically mailed-out to Montpelier residents. If you wish to request a ballot, or want more information on voting in Montpelier, this year, use this link. Here’s Montpelier’s 2021 Town Meeting Day sample ballot that includes the retail opt-in question.

Peacham
Early absentee ballots will automatically be mailed to all active voters in Peacham. You do not need to call to request a ballot. If you’re a resident and wish to request a ballot, or want more information on voting in Peacham, this year, use this link. Here’s Peacham’s 2021 Town Meeting Day sample ballot that includes the retail opt-in question.

Pownal
You may request an early absentee ballot or vote in-person on Town Meeting Day, on March 2, in Pownal. Early absentee ballots are not automatically mailed-out to Pownal residents. If you wish to request a ballot, or want more information on voting in Pownal, this year, use this link. Here’s Pownal’s 2021 Town Meeting Day sample ballot that includes the retail opt-in question.

Richmond
You may request an early absentee ballot or vote in-person on Town Meeting Day, on March 2, in Richmond. Early absentee ballots are not automatically mailed-out to Richmond residents. If you wish to request a ballot, or want more information on voting in Richmond, this year, use this link. Here’s Richmond’s 2021 Town Meeting Day sample ballot that includes the retail opt-in question.

Saint Johnsbury
Town Meeting Day has been rescheduled for April 6, in Saint Johnsbury. You may request an early absentee ballot or vote in-person in April. Early absentee ballots are not automatically mailed-out to Saint Johnsbury residents. If you wish to request a ballot, or want more information on voting in Saint Johnsbury, this year, use this link. Saint Johnsbury has not yet posted their sample ballot for 2021 Town Meeting Day.

Strafford
You may request an early absentee ballot or vote in-person on Town Meeting Day, on March 2, in Strafford. Early absentee ballots are not automatically mailed-out to Strafford residents. If you wish to request a ballot, or want more information on voting in Strafford, this year, use this link. Here’s Strafford’s 2021 Town Meeting Day sample ballot that includes the retail opt-in question.

Waterbury
You may request an early absentee ballot or vote in-person on Town Meeting Day, on March 2, in Waterbury. Early absentee ballots are not automatically mailed-out to Waterbury residents. If you wish to request a ballot, or want more information on voting in Waterbury, this year, use this link. Here’s Waterbury’s 2021 Town Meeting Day sample ballot that includes the retail opt-in question.

Winooski
You may request an early absentee ballot or vote in-person on Town Meeting Day, on March 2, in Winooski. Early absentee ballots are not automatically mailed-out to Winooski residents. If you wish to request a ballot, or want more information on voting in Winooski, this year, use this link. Here’s Winooski’s 2021 Town Meeting Day sample ballot that includes the retail opt-in question.

My Town Approved Retail Opt-In For Town Meeting Day, Now What?

If your town or city approved retail opt-in for this year’s Town Meeting Day, the final milestone is to get voters to approve the article, or question, on the ballot. A simple get-out-the-vote campaign can be effective in raising awareness in your town, using lawn signs and social media to draw attention to the ballot question. If you decide to make flyers for your neighbors or go knock on doors, please remember to practice safe distancing and to wear a mask.

My Town Did Not Approve Retail Opt-In For Town Meeting Day, Now What?

Act 164 (2020) provides Vermont residents with a couple of different options to get retail opt-in approved for your town’s ballot, even if your local select board did not take up the issue for Town Meeting Day, this year. A special meeting may be held at any time, between the 2021 and 2022 Town Meeting Day, providing towns with an opportunity to approve retail opt-in at any time throughout the year. Also, as noted above, some towns and cities are postponing Town Meeting Day, in lieu of the pandemic, so you may have more time to get a question on this year’s Town Meeting Day ballot. We suggest you contact your local town clerk to confirm when they’re holding Town Meeting Day, this year. For more information on Act 164 retail opt-in, and for ballot language to use in your town or city, please visit our Act 164 Retail Opt-In Guide.

Update 03/04/21

The following towns approved retail sales on Town Meeting Day 2021:

Barton, Bennington, Berlin, Brandon, Brattleboro, Brownington, Burke, Burlington, Danby, Danville, Duxbury, Johnson, Middlebury, Montpelier, Pawlet, Peacham, Pownal, Randolph, Salisbury, South Hero, Strafford, Sutton, Vergennes, Waterbury, Windsor, Winooski

The following towns rejected retail sales on Town Meeting Day 2021:

Lyndon, Newport, Richmond

Update 03/25/21

The following towns approved retail sales by warning a special meeting, after the 2021 Town Meeting Day:

Jamaica