Vermont
A dated list of changes to how Americans vote: district maps, polling places and drop boxes, voting laws and rules, and courts and election officials. Each entry says who did what and when, shows what became of it, and links to the page it rests on. Attempts that failed are listed as failed. Entries that rest on a news report name the outlet.
This is the state view: events recorded for Vermont, then national events that apply here. See the national timeline.
In Vermont
2016
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Governor signs automatic voter registration through the driver's license process
Gov. Peter Shumlin signed H.458 on April 28, 2016. VermontBiz reported that the law registers eligible Vermonters when they apply for a driver's license, with the DMV sending their information to the town or city clerk, lets them opt out, and takes effect July 1, 2017.
- Vermont General Assembly: H.458 (Act 80), An act relating to automatic voter registration through motor vehicle driver's license applications: signed by Governor on 4/28/16 ↗
- Shumlin signs into law automatic voter registration ↗ News report, VermontBiz
Source last checked Oct 21, 2026
2015
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Governor signs same-day voter registration
Gov. Peter Shumlin signed a bill on June 1, 2015 that made Vermont the 14th state to allow same-day voter registration. Vermont Public reported that it would not take effect until after the 2016 presidential election.
- Vermont General Assembly: S.29 (Act 44), An act relating to election day registration: signed by Governor on June 1, 2015 ↗
- Vermont becomes the 14th state to allow same-day voter registration ↗ News report, Vermont Public
Source last checked Oct 22, 2026
2010
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Voters approve amendment letting 17-year-olds vote in primaries
In the November 2010 general election, Vermont voters approved a constitutional amendment that lets 17-year-olds vote in the presidential primary and the August primary of the year they turn 18, provided they will be 18 by the November general election. The report puts voter approval at about 80 percent and says it first applied in 2012.
- Vermont State Archives and Records Administration: Constitutional amendment proposals, listing the 17-year-old primary voting proposal as adopted as Article 54 by the electorate on November 2, 2010 ↗
- New constitutional amendment allows some Vermont 17-year-olds to vote in 2012 primaries ↗ News report, VermontBiz
Source last checked Oct 21, 2026
Nationwide
2019
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House passes Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019; no Senate vote follows
On December 6, 2019, the House passed H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019, by 228 to 187 (Roll no. 654). It was received in the Senate on December 9, 2019 and referred to the Judiciary Committee; the bill record lists no Senate vote, and it did not become law.
Source last checked Oct 31, 2026
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House passes For the People Act of 2019; no Senate vote follows
On March 8, 2019, the House passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2019, by 234 to 193 (Roll no. 118). The bill was received in the Senate on March 12, 2019 and placed on the Senate calendar; the bill record lists no Senate vote on passage, and it did not become law.
Source last checked Oct 29, 2026
2018
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President signs Executive Order 13848 on foreign interference in U.S. elections
Executive Order 13848, dated September 12, 2018, imposes sanctions authority in the event of foreign interference in a U.S. election. The order says "there has been no evidence of a foreign power altering the outcome or vote tabulation in any United States election" and declares a national emergency over the threat of interference.
Source last checked Nov 1, 2026
How this timeline is built
Every entry rests on at least one source that was opened and read, and that source states the date and the fact. Courts, legislatures, election offices, the Justice Department, the Census Bureau, the Federal Register and Congress.gov come first. A news report is used only when no official page states the fact, and it is labeled with the outlet's name. Encyclopedias are not used as sources. History starts in 1965 with the Voting Rights Act. County names come from the Census Bureau's 2024 Gazetteer. Congressional district numbers are those in use for the 2026 election; an event is tagged to a district only when its source names that congressional district.
When a later event changes an earlier one, such as a law later struck down, both entries are listed and point to each other. This page does not predict outcomes or say which party a change helps. U.S. House maps for 2026 · How people voted in past elections, by county · Back to the 2026 voting center.