Are you ready for Vermont’s Aug. 11 primary election?
August 1, 2026 | By Lisa Scagliotti Vermont’s statewide primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 11, although early voting is available right now at town and city clerk offices around the state.
Vermont Public held candidate debates for Democratic gubernatorial contenders Ally Richarts and Amanda Janoo. Screenshot
If you’ve requested and received an absentee/early ballot, those need to be returned either by mail or in person, dropped in a secure municipal ballot box, or brought to the polls by 7 p.m. on election day.
All of Vermont’s statewide offices are on the ballot this year, including the state’s lone seat in the U.S. House and Vermont offices of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, auditor, treasurer, and secretary of state. Likewise, the 180 seats in the Vermont Legislature are also on the ballot – 30 senators and 150 representatives.
At the county level, offices on the ballot include state’s attorneys, sheriffs, assistant judges and high bailiffs.
Contests
The primary election will determine the major-party candidates who will be listed on the general election ballot on Nov. 2. Voters on Aug. 11 will have three party ballots to choose from – Democratic, Republican and Progressive – and will be asked to choose one to mark. Independent candidates file separately with the secretary of state and will be added to the November ballot.
Only a handful of offices have primary contests this year. The most competition is on the Democratic ballot among candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, with Amanda Janoo from Burlington and Aly Richards from Montpelier running for the nomination to challenge five-term Republican Gov. Phil Scott. Esther Charlestin of South Burlington, Molly Gray from Burlington and Ryan McLaren from Essex Junction are seeking the Democratic nomination to face first-term Republican Lt. Gov. John Rodgers.
Democratic lieutenant governor candidates debate on WCAX Channel 3. Screenshot
Two other statewide contests: Democrats Tim Ashe of Burlington, Nicholas Graeter of Williston, and Dan Towle from Huntington are seeking the auditor position; Republicans Mark Coester of Westminster and Gerald Malloy from Weathersfield are vying for the GOP nomination to run against Democrat Rep. Becca Balint for Vermont’s seat in the U.S. House.
The Progressive ballot has no competition for any of the offices.
In the Washington district (which includes Stowe in Lamoille County and two Orange County towns), there is a four-way race among Democratic candidates for three state Senate nominations as Montpelier candidate Gabriel LaJeunesse has entered the race challenging incumbents Ann Cummings, Andrew Perchlik and Anne Watson.
Waterbury’s House district has no primary contest with just two Democratic candidates on the Washington-Chittenden primary ballot: incumbent Rep. Theresa Wood of Waterbury and newcomer Katarina Lisaius of Bolton. The district covers Waterbury, Bolton, Huntington and Buels Gore.
The Washington-2 district covering Duxbury, Moretown, Fayston, Waitsfield and Warren also has no contest with just Democratic incumbents Dara Torre, of Moretown, and Candice White, of Waitsfield, on the ballot.
The other county-level office with primary competition is a three-way race for two candidates to run for two assistant judge positions. Incumbent Leah Murphy Jones from Montpelier is seeking re-election to a three-year term along with newcomers Caleb Curry from Montpelier and Anne Dielensnyder of Berlin.
Voter information
Seven Days has a primary election guide. Art by Tim Newcomb. Screenshot
Voters can check their registration information by contacting their town or city clerk or using the online voter portal with the Vermont Secretary of State’s office. It’s also possible to register to vote right up to election day and then cast a ballot.
On Election Day, voting in Waterbury will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Brookside Primary School.
Duxbury voting will be held during the same hours in the drive-through loop at the town office and highway garage.
For more information, the Waterbury Town Clerk’s voting and election page here has the primary election warning and sample party ballots.
The Duxbury Town Clerk webpage is here.
See the Vermont Voter Portal here.
Forums, debates, coverage
VTDigger has an online primary election guide. Screenshot
Vermont’s statewide news outlets have hosted a number of forums and debates for some of the top candidates on the primary ballot and some have assembled election guides.
Here are some links to that coverage:
VTDigger has assembled a voting guide and has collected its pre-election coverage on its Government & Politics page. Posts there include looks at the Democratic primary races for governor and lieutenant governor contenders.
Likewise, Vermont Public’s election 2026 coverage is collected in one spot on its website, including recordings from debates among the Democratic candidates for governor and lieutenant governor.
Seven Days has a Primary Election Guide in its July 29 print edition on newsstands now with an electronic version on its website here.
WCAX held televised debates among the Democratic governor and lieutenant governor candidates as well as stories with each of the contenders. See the governor candidates’ debate here and the lieutenant governor debate here.
And ORCA Media recorded a forum hosted by The Montpelier Bridge newspaper with the Democratic candidates in the race for three Washington Senate nominations recently. See that recording here.