When is Town Meeting Day?
Town Meeting Day is a state holiday observed in Vermont on the First Tuesday in March.
History of Town Meeting Day
On this day most towns in Vermont elect their municipal officers, approve budgets, and deal with other civic issues in a day-long public meeting of the voters called a Town Meeting. Town Meetings have been used in New England since the 17th century as a form of democratic rule.
The first town meeting to take place in Vermont was held in Bennington in 1762, 15 years before Vermont was created.
Towns can vote in two different ways at March Town Meeting, by floor meeting or by Australian ballot (secret voting). Most towns use a combination of both voting methods.
More information on the Town Meetings (pdf)
The date of the first Tuesday in March also marks Vermont's admission to the United States on 4 March 1791. Vermont became the first state to join the Union after the original 13 states. It probably would have been one of the original states, but its admission was delayed due to a land dispute with New York.
Did you know?
In 1777, Vermont became the first colony to abolish slavery. It wasn’t until 1865 that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery across the nation, nearly 100 years after Vermont.
As this is a state holiday, many government offices will be closed, but federal offices will remain open. Vermont law gives private employees the right to take unpaid leave from work to attend their annual town meeting, subject to the essential operation of the business or government. An employee must give the employer at least seven days notice if they want to take advantage of this right.
