a message from the board of directors
The Atria Collective works toward the elimination of physical, sexual, and emotional violence through direct service, education, and social change. We are grateful for communities of Vermonters and tri-partisan lawmakers who have worked tirelessly to advocate for and enact legislation that makes our work possible. The policy structures and resources that make our communities safer from domestic and sexual violence are determined, in many cases, by the legislators in the Vermont General Assembly. If you are an eligible voter who supports Atria’s mission, we invite you to show up as an informed, active, and vocal voter against violence (for the first time or for the hundredth time) this election season.
With Election Day approaching, here are three ways to be a voter against sexual and domestic violence:
Seek out candidates who support safe communities.
Make sure all candidates who desire to represent your interests know that you care about this issue.
Vote and help others make a plan to vote.
Need help to figure out how? Here are some steps you can take:
Find the candidates running for open positions in the Vermont General Election on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 on your personal ballot at the Vermont Public Candidate Guide or ballotready.org.
Once you know who’s on your ballot, you can seek out their stances on issues of community safety. Find many candidates’ platforms that state their positions and priorities via those nonpartisan sites (above) or candidates’ direct websites. You can search for their public statements and/or ask them directly: Would they support and sponsor legislation in the area of violence prevention that matters most to you? How?
For incumbents, you can see if your candidates have demonstrated leadership and prioritization of the issues set forward by past Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence’s Legislative Agendas. Look at the Vermont General Assembly website to see who introduced and co-sponsored legislation such as S.9 (Act 12) which expands 24/7 access to emergency protective orders for sexual assault survivors, H.118 (Act 8) which expanded the scope of hate-motivated crimes, H. 606 (Act 134) related to firearms relinquishment and storage procedures under relief from abuse orders, and H.385 (Act 106) that established coerced debt protections.
Reach out and thank those sponsoring or co-sponsoring legislators, as publicly as possible. Their work in committees got the bills to the floors of the House and Senate with enough support that the bills did not require a roll call vote to pass with tri-partisan support– they had clear vocal-vote ‘yes’ majorities. Write or speak to your new candidates or incumbent lawmakers who do not already show up as sponsors with your request and their plan for support of the Vermont Network’s Legislative Agendas in the future. Let them know you’re paying attention– and stay in touch with them during the spring legislative season to encourage their continued support.
When you understand candidates' positions on issues that matter to you like violence prevention, you can vote in a way that aligns with your values, and you can help get other people out to the polls. Your encouragement of your friends and family to vote becomes more powerful when you share why it matters to you and our communities. It’s especially important to vote during the midterms which historically have shown a lower turnout. According to States United Democracy Center, 71% of the Vermont voting eligible population turned out for the Presidential year general election in 2024 while only 56% turned out for the midterm general election in 2022.
So what now? With Election Day fast approaching, it’s time to check your voter registration status. Go to vote.vermont.gov to ensure you’re registered. Next, make a plan to vote. If not by mail or in advance at your town or city clerk’s office, get ready for Election Day. This includes checking your official polling location, setting aside time in your calendar to head to the polls, and confirming your transportation. Once your plan is set, connect with others in your community to make sure they have a plan to vote. In 2008, Nickerson and Rogers conducted a field experiment that showed facilitating the formation of a voting plan can increase turnout by 4.1 percentage points. This means your efforts with your friends, neighbors, and community members can make a difference. We hope to see you all at the polls on November 3rd!
In community,
The Atria Collective Board of Directors
Carolyn Balparda
Kailee Brickner-McDonald
Sarah Buss
Chelsea Colby
Caroline Corrente
Rebecca Gerlin
Crystal Jones
Margaret Miles
Elaine Orozco Hammond
Heather Raabe
Deb Wales