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Democracy. Direct.

Proposition Zero is a proposed charter amendment giving Burlington voters three new tools to participate directly in city decision‑making: initiatives, referendums, and advisory questions.

Burlington stands in contrast to the vast majority of Vermont's other cities' and towns', where voters' right to participate in municipal decision-making is enshrined in their charter documents, reflecting Vermont's cherished tradition of direct, townhall-style democracy.

Click here to sign up for Town Meeting Day canvassing shift(s).

Petition

The proposed amendment's language is contained in the petition for charter amendment, which will require supporting signatures from at least 5% of Burlington voters. Our goal is to get Proposition Zero as a question on this year's General Election ballot in November. Please see the detailed timeline below.

Full text of the proposed amendment (opens in a popup)

Full text of the proposed amendment (standalone page)

Download full text + petition form as PDF (for printing)

Timeline

Our goal is to get Proposition Zero charter amendment as a question on the Burlington ballot for the upcoming General Election in November. To qualify, a charter change petition must have the signatures of 5% of eligible voters in Burlington and be submitted by end of September. We have found that canvassing the polls during election time is the most effective way to do so.

Current Goal: 2000 Signatures

Please consider signing up for a 2-hour shift on Town Meeting Day . We will reach out with training information and your petition signature collection kit the week before Town Meeting Day.

Click here to sign up for Town Meeting Day canvassing shift(s).

Learn more about the campaign

The Right to Have a Say

Proposition Zero enshrines the right of the people to directly participate in making communal decisions that impact their lives. It provides the mechanism for voters-backed petitions to put public questions on electoral ballot, and establishes three forms of direct democracy: binding initiatives, binding referendums and non-binding advisory questions.

What's Good for Vermont

Vermont's townhall democracy has a long history of providing regular, everyday Vermonters with the ability to directly participate in policy decisions and to address local issues through innovation and collaboration. Additionally, it provides necessary checks and balances in communal governance and a democratic mechanism to hold their public officials accountable.

Good for Burlington

Enshrining the people's right to participate in our city's charter and granting each individual voter the power to influence municipal decisions will bring Burlington in line with the rest of Vermont, increase participation and provide Burlingtonians the tools we need to address current and future challenges.

Campaign Timeline

Timeline

Proposition Zero Timeline

Campaign Launch

Get involved!

Click here to sign up for Town Meeting Day canvassing shift(s).

Sign up your organization as partner

Town Meeting Day

Collect signatures at the polls

Volunteers will be at polling stations to talk to neighbors and get signatures supporting the petition. Our goal is to have at least 2000 signatures.

August Primary

Collect additional signatures at the polls

Another opportunity to meet the signatures threshold for November ballot inclusion

November General Election

If majority voted YES, the amendment will be referred to the Vermont legislature. The bigger the margin of victory, the more likely it is to be approved in Montpelier.

Legislature Approval

Once approved by the legislature, the amendment will become law, and our partner organizations can start collecting petitions for further initiatives, referendums or advisories on Town Meeting Day 2027.

Town Meeting Day 2027

Binding initiatives and referendums, if passed, will have the same power as ordinances passed by City Council, providing us with an alternative process to pass policies, through majority rule.

End of Timeline

Table of Contents

Democracy. Direct.

Petition

Timeline

Current Goal: 2000 Signatures

The Right to Have a Say

What's Good for Vermont

Good for Burlington

Campaign Timeline