{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=726", "Balint, Welch Host Roundtable on Election Integrity with Vermont Secretary of State Copeland Hanzas and Vermont Town Clerks", "2026-05-07", "2026", "2026-05", "Democrat", "House", "VT", "Becca Balint", "B001318", "balint.house.gov", "balint", "https://balint.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "SHELBURNE, VT \u2013 U.S. Representative Becca Balint (D-VT-AL), Vice Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, alongside U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committees, today hosted a roundtable discussion at the Shelburne Town Offices with Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas and Town Clerks to defend the integrity of free and fair elections in Vermont.\n\n\u201cOur town clerks are the backbone of our democracy,\u201d said Rep. Balint. \u201cAt a time when there\u2019s widespread misinformation about elections, it\u2019s especially important for Vermonters to hear directly from the people who administer our elections. They are dedicated public servants who do their work with care, transparency, and integrity. I appreciated the opportunity to hear from our state and local officials today about the safeguards already in place and the challenges they\u2019re addressing. I know Vermonters want us all to keep working together to keep our elections free, fair, and secure.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe SAVE America Act is a scam\u2014it\u2019s a bill in search of a problem. Representative Balint and I know it, and so do Vermont\u2019s leaders, town clerks, and voters. In Vermont, our town clerks are on the front lines of protecting our democracy, and their hard work is essential to continuing our state\u2019s proud history of high voter participation and secure elections. This bill would jeopardize that legacy by endangering the rights of thousands of eligible Vermonters to exercise their right to vote,\u201d said Senator Welch. \u201cPresident Trump and Republicans\u2019 push for this bill\u2014which would disenfranchise millions of voters right before the 2026 midterm elections\u2014is no accident. We\u2019re doing everything in our power to kill this bill, keep the integrity of Vermont\u2019s elections strong, and ensure that every eligible voter can exercise their fundamental right to have a say in our democracy.\u201d\n\nTown Clerks from Burlington, St. Johnsbury, Winooski, Brattleboro, Morrisville, and Shelburne attended to discuss the voting process and share the many steps taken to ensure fair, secure elections in Vermont. Diana Vachon, Shelburne Town Clerk, is the President of the Vermont Municipal Clerks\u2019 and Treasurers\u2019 Association (VMCTA).\n\nView photos from the event here.\n\nThe Vermont Congressional Delegation opposes to President Trump\u2019s executive orders on voting and Republicans\u2019 Save America Act, which threaten to block millions of U.S. citizens from voting\u2014disproportionately impacting women, people of color, seniors, and rural voters\u2014and make it harder to register and vote by disrupting online registration and eliminating universal mail-in voting.\n\n###", 1, "2026-05-08T05:46:43Z", "2026-05-08T05:48:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://balint.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=726"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8656270802021027, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}