AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Vermont on Election Day

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vermont voters are electing federal and state officeholders and other leaders. Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied on Tuesday.

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in races for governor, U.S. House, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, statewide ballot measures, state Senate, state House, state auditor and state treasurer.

How many people voted in the last midterm election?

About 286,000 votes were cast in Vermont’s 2022 U.S. Senate race.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 67% of all ballots cast in Vermont’s 2022 race for U.S. Senate were cast early or by absentee ballot. The latest advance vote totals for Vermont can be found in the AP’s advance vote tracker.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Vermont runs elections at the town and city level. There are 247 separate jurisdictions administering local elections, and they vary in terms of how and when they release results. In many of the larger jurisdictions, the bulk of results from both mail voting and in-person Election Day voting are released together in their first vote update.

How long does vote counting usually take?

The first results of the 2024 general election were reported starting at 7:12 p.m. ET, 12 minutes after polls closed. The state reached 50% of votes reporting at 8:48 p.m. ET, and 90% of votes reporting at 10:44 p.m. ET.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

A candidate may request a recount if the vote margin falls below a certain threshold. In federal, statewide, county and state Senate elections, a recount may be requested if the vote margin between the winning and losing candidate is 2% or less of the total votes cast, divided by the number of persons to be elected for that position. For state House and local races, the required margin is 5% or less of the total votes cast, divided by the number of persons to be elected. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.