---
type: "Bill"
title: "An act relating to voter protections"
description: "An act relating to voter protections"
jurisdiction: "us/states/vt"
legislature: "Vermont General Assembly"
session: "2025-2026"
identifier: "S 298"
citation: "Vermont S 298 (2025-2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Kesha Ram Hinsdale", "Rebecca White"]
version_count: 9
action_count: 43
vote_count: 1
first_action: "2026-01-23"
last_action: "2026-05-29"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/bf299881-f145-48b3-bc16-531c28159462"
source_url: "http://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/loadBillDetailedStatus/2026/1805"
source_hash: "ecf8f5a79c0aec11d50551c6401970b3bb4d66ca95a6a8d450a0f039a14236d5"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-vt"]
---

# Vermont S 298 (2025-2026) — An act relating to voter protections

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **As Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0298/S-0298%20As%20Introduced.pdf)
2. **Act Summary** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT126/ACT126%20Act%20Summary.pdf)
3. **As Enacted** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/ACTS/ACT126/ACT126%20As%20Enacted.pdf)
4. **As Passed By the Senate (Official)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0298/S-0298%20As%20passed%20by%20the%20Senate%20Official.pdf)
5. **As Passed By the Senate (Unofficial)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0298/S-0298%20As%20Passed%20by%20the%20Senate%20Unofficial.pdf)
6. **As Passed by Both House and Senate (Official)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0298/S-0298%20As%20Passed%20by%20Both%20House%20and%20Senate%20Official.pdf)
7. **As Passed by Both House and Senate (Unofficial)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0298/S-0298%20As%20Passed%20by%20Both%20House%20and%20Senate%20Unofficial.pdf)
8. **House Proposal of Amendment (Official)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0298/S-0298%20House%20proposal%20of%20amendment%20Official.pdf)
9. **House Proposal of Amendment (Unofficial)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2026/Docs/BILLS/S-0298/S-0298%20House%20Proposal%20of%20Amendment%20Unofficial.pdf)

## Votes

- 3rd reading ordered on roll call Passed -- Needed 14 of 28 to Pass -- Yeas = 28, Nays = 0 — **28–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Kesha Ram Hinsdale — primary (person)
- Rebecca White — primary (person)
- Alison Clarkson — cosponsor (person)
- Andrew Perchlik — cosponsor (person)
- Ann Cummings — cosponsor (person)
- Anne Watson — cosponsor (person)
- Joseph Major — cosponsor (person)
- Martine Gulick — cosponsor (person)
- Nader Hashim — cosponsor (person)
- Philip Baruth — cosponsor (person)
- Randolph Brock — cosponsor (person)
- Richard Westman — cosponsor (person)
- Robert Plunkett — cosponsor (person)
- Ruth Hardy — cosponsor (person)
- Seth Bongartz — cosponsor (person)
- Tanya Vyhovsky — cosponsor (person)
- Thomas Chittenden — cosponsor (person)
- Virginia Lyons — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2026-01-23** Read 1st time & referred to Committee on Government Operations `introduction`
- **2026-03-12** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2026-03-12** Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2026-03-12** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Government Operations `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-13** New Business/Second Reading `reading-2`
- **2026-03-13** Favorable report with recommendation of amendment by Committee on Government Operations `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-13** Read 2nd time, reported favorably with recommendation of amendment by Senator White for Committee on Government Operations `committee-passage-favorable, reading-2`
- **2026-03-13** Recommendation of amendment by Committee on Government Operations agreed to
- **2026-03-13** 3rd reading ordered on roll call Passed -- Needed 14 of 28 to Pass -- Yeas = 28, Nays = 0
- **2026-03-17** New Business/Third Reading `reading-3`
- **2026-03-17** Read 3rd time & passed `reading-3`
- **2026-03-19** Referred to the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs
- **2026-04-28** Notice Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2026-04-29** Action Calendar: Favorable with Amendment
- **2026-04-29** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-04-29** Rep. Waters Evans of Charlotte reported for the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs
- **2026-04-29** Report of Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs agreed to
- **2026-04-29** Third Reading ordered `reading-3`
- **2026-04-30** Action Calendar: Third Reading `reading-3`
- **2026-04-30** Read third time and passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction, reading-3`
- **2026-05-01** House message: House passed bill in concurrence with proposal(s) of amendment
- **2026-05-05** Entered on Notice Calendar
- **2026-05-05** House proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-06** House proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-07** Unfinished Business/House Proposal of Amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-08** Unfinished Business/House Proposal of Amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-12** Unfinished Business/House Proposal of Amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-13** Unfinished Business/House Proposal of Amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-14** Unfinished Business/House Proposal of Amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-14** Proposal of amendment to be offered by Senator(s) Collamore `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-14** House proposal of amendment; text `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-14** House proposal of amendment concurred in with further proposal of amendment as moved by Senator(s) Collamore `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-15** Senate Message: House proposal of amendment concurred in with further proposal of amendment thereto `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-18** Notice Calendar: Senate Proposal of Amendment to House Proposal of Amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-19** Action Calendar: Senate Proposal of Amendment to House Proposal of Amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-19** Rep. Waters Evans of Charlotte moved to postpone action until May 20, 2026, which was agreed to
- **2026-05-20** Action Calendar: Action postponed until May 20, 2026
- **2026-05-20** Senate proposal of amendment to House proposal of amendment concurred in `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-22** House message: House concurred in Senate proposal of amendment to House proposal of amendment `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-05-22** As passed by Senate and House `passage`
- **2026-05-29** Delivered to Governor on June 2, 2026 `executive-receipt`
- **2026-05-29** Signed by Governor on June 8, 2026 `executive-signature`
- **2026-05-29** Senate Message: Signed by Governor June 8, 2026 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/bf299881-f145-48b3-bc16-531c28159462`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Vermont legislature records).