Burlington Council Proposes New Voter Privacy Rules
The city aims to restrict public access to sensitive voter data to protect noncitizen participants in local elections.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Civic Engagement
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The Burlington City Council has proposed a charter change to limit public access to personal voter information, including birth dates and partial Social Security numbers. This initiative is designed to shield residents from potential retaliation for participating in local elections as noncitizens.
Why it matters
The proposal addresses concerns over the security of legal residents who are authorized to vote in Burlington local elections but prohibited from voting in federal contests. It seeks to balance transparency with the protection of voter privacy in a politically sensitive environment.
The city has scheduled two public hearings to review the proposal, which requires requesting parties to sign statements prohibiting commercial use or sharing with foreign governments and federal agencies.
The players
Phil Scott
He serves as the Governor of Vermont and previously vetoed charter changes regarding noncitizen voting in Burlington, Winooski, and Montpelier.
Burlington City Council
This is the governing body for the city of Burlington that proposed the new voter privacy charter change.
The details
Burlington permits legal residents who are not U.S. citizens to vote in local contests, a practice authorized after the state Legislature overrode a veto from Governor Phil Scott in 2023. The new privacy protections would restrict access to phone numbers, ID numbers, and other sensitive identifiers for all registered voters.
Timeline
The City Council proposed the new privacy charter change on October 26, 2026.
City councilors are scheduled to vote on the final language in December 2026.
Public hearings for the charter change will occur on January 13 and 19, 2027.
The measure could appear on the Town Meeting Day ballot on March 2, 2027.
Political Context
Opponents of expanded local suffrage, including Governor Phil Scott, have consistently challenged city-level voting changes in municipalities like Winooski and Montpelier. This proposal faces potential resistance from those who argue that restrictive data access limits public oversight of election integrity.
If the charter change is approved by voters and the Legislature, residents may see stricter requirements when requesting voter lists. This change would shift the balance between public information access and individual data privacy for local election participants.
The takeaway
This proposal highlights the ongoing tension between public transparency and the protection of sensitive information for specific voter groups. Residents are encouraged to monitor upcoming public hearings to understand how these potential privacy rules could impact access to local election data.
What happens next
The city will host public hearings on the proposal on January 13 and 19, 2027, followed by a potential vote on Town Meeting Day on March 2, 2027.
Further reading
Learn more about local Civic Engagement initiatives and upcoming ballot measures in the area.
Source note: This article includes information reported by My NBC5.
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