If you’re a registered voter in Vermont, you should have received by now your ballot for the November General Election. It’s important to make a plan for voting – in person or by mail – so please do that.
But I’m writing right now because I want to bring to your attention an opportunity to vote that you will not receive in the mail. This is the vote to approve a bond for the Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD), our local waste management district, to build a new recycling facility. In order to vote by mail on this question, you need to request this as a special ballot!
My colleagues and I at VPIRG have had several conversations with leaders at CSWD over the last two months to ensure that this new facility will improve recycling, will not have a negative financial impact on Chittenden County residents, and will be compatible with an expanded Bottle Bill. We feel confident that this proposal checks these boxes.
Now, we need your help in getting it passed. In order to request the ballot, go to the My Voter Page and sign in. Once you’re in, click the line on the upper righthand side of the page that says, “Click Here for Online Absentee Ballot Request.” On the next screen, make sure you fill out the required boxes (voter type and delivery method), select “elections” from “Select Election(s)”, then check the box next to 11/08/22 – 2022 CSWD BOND VOTE.
If you were already planning to vote in person, there’s no need to request this ballot online! You’ll receive it at your polling location. And if you’d prefer not to request it online, you can pick one up or request a ballot from your Town Clerk or City Manager’s office.
Among the reasons this facility is necessary is that materials like paper and cardboard – which make up over 75 percent of our recycling stream in Chittenden County – need to meet an increasingly higher threshold of quality in order to be recycled in local markets. The focus of this new project is to make sure that our materials are clean enough to meet the bar and be consistently recycled into new, high-quality products.
Thank you so much for voting and for taking the extra step to ensure we have a stronger recycling system in Chittenden County!
Best,
Marcie Gallagher
Environmental Advocate
VPIRG
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Vermont Public Interest Research Group
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