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Vermont Governor Phil Scott Defends Mail-In Voting Amid GOP Debate

Governor Phil Scott of Vermont supports state-run elections and mail-in voting, opposing former President Trump's push to nationalize elections and restrict mail-in voting options.

Jul 31, 2026, 7:49 PM NBC Politics

Vermont’s GOPtopic Phil Scottperson Trumptopic Americanstopic Phil Scott of Vermonttopic Republicanstopic NBC Politicstopic Vermont’s Republican Governor Phil Scotttopic Donald Trump’sperson Republican Partyorganization

“A Little Forecast of Coming Events” Cartoonist: Edward Windsor Kemble Source: Harper's Weekly Date: September 14, 1912, p. 9 In early September, supporters of Woodrow Wilson interpreted results of the Vermont state election as evidence that the Democratic nominee would win the presidential election in early November. Harper’s Weekly editor George Harvey declared categorically, “Vermont spells Democratic victory.” This E. W. Kemble cartoon appeared in the same issue as Harvey’s analysis of the early state election. The Republican Elephant and Progressive Bull Moose have slid in a jumble to the bottom of the hill to the glee of the high-kicking Democratic Donkey. The Democratic Party did not actually win the Vermont state election, but the state was so thoroughly Republican that the GOP’s smaller than usual plurality was read as an indication of a general national trend away from the Republican Party in 1912. In the 1908 Vermont state election, Republicans polled about 30,000 and Democrats 16,000; however, in 1912, Republicans received just over 26,000 to Democrats’ 20,000, and Progressives’ 16,000. The Democratic total was the largest ever recorded in the state to that date. In November 1912, as predicted, Wilson won the national election, while Vermont was one of only two states that Republican William Howard Taft carried (the other was Utah). The results of the presidential vote in Vermont were: Taft, 37%; Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, 35%; Wilson, 24.5%, and less than 2% for Prohibitionist Eugene Chafin and Socialist Eugene Debs. · Photo by Harper's Weekly · Public domain · Source: wikimedia

Vermont’s Republican Governor Phil Scott has publicly defended the state's mail-in voting system and state-run elections as effective and beneficial for Americans. His stance comes in contrast to former President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape election processes by urging Republicans to “nationalize” elections and limit mail-in voting options.

Scott emphasized the value of maintaining accessible voting methods, highlighting the importance of state-level control over elections. This position places him at odds with Trump’s calls for more centralized election oversight and restrictions on voting methods.

The debate reflects ongoing tensions within the Republican Party regarding election administration and voting access.

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NBC Politics (July 31, 2026)

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