Polling places; firearms prohibited

17 V.S.A. ch. 051, § 2510, under Conduct of Elections.

17 V.S.A. ch. 051, § 2510

§ 2510. Polling places; firearms prohibited

(a)(1) A person shall not knowingly possess a firearm at a polling place or on the walks leading to a building in which a polling place is located on an election day.

(2) The provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection shall apply to the town clerk’s office during any period when a board of civil authority has voted to permit early voting pursuant to subdivision 2546b(a)(1) of this title.

(b) This section shall not apply to:

(1) a firearm carried for legitimate law enforcement purposes by a federal law enforcement officer or a law enforcement officer certified as a law enforcement officer by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council pursuant to 20 V.S.A. § 2358;

(2) a firearm carried by a person while preforming the person’s official duties as an employee of the United States; a department or agency of the United States; a state; or a department, agency, or political subdivision of a state if the person is authorized to carry a firearm as part of the person’s official duties; or

(3) a firearm stored in a motor vehicle.

(c) Notice of the provisions of this section shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance to each polling place.

(d) As used in this section:

(1) “Firearm” has the same meaning as in section 13 V.S.A. § 4017.

(2) “Polling place” means a place that a municipality has designated to the Secretary of State as a polling place pursuant to subsection 2502(f) of this title. (Added 2023, No. 120 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. May 28, 2024.)