After threats to clerks, Vermont lawmakers push election interference bill

Lincoln town clerk Sally Ober opened up her email days before the 2016 election. She found what she described as a disturbing email that included a seven-page manifesto informing her that there was a CIA terrorist cult in Vermont and that people were going to die if she didn’t pay attention. Ober wasn’t sure whether to ignore it or report it.

Ober, who has served as an election official for almost 20 years, said she has come to expect these kinds of messages ahead of federal elections ever since 6. She said the problem is not just the threats themselves, but the way they interfere with running an election.

“All of these incidents are distracting from doing the work that we clerks need to do to be well prepared for running free and fair elections,” she told the House Committee on Judiciary on Jan. 15.

Ober’s testimony was in support of H.541, a bill that would create a new section of Vermont law, prohibiting interference with voters and election officials.



https://vermontbiz.com/news/2026/april/12/after-threats-clerks-vermont-lawmakers-push-election-interference-bill