On March 30, Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed HB 681, which eliminates all candidate petitions during 2020, both for candidates seeking a spot on a primary ballot, or the general election. Here is the bill. Scroll down past the bill’s original contents. As introduced originally, the bill had nothing to do with election law. Thanks to Ballotpedia for this news.

Without this bill, unqualified parties would have needed 1,000 signatures to place their presidential nominee on the November ballot. The only qualified parties besides the Democratic and Republican Parties are the Liberty Union, Progressive, Green Mountain, and Libertarian Parties. The Green Mountain Party is organized only in Vermont, has never participated in a presidential election, and has no connection to the Green Party.