Vermont voters will decide on a constitutional amendment that would provide "that the people are guaranteed equal protection under the law." The constitutional amendment would also add language prohibiting the denial of rights to a person based on their race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or national origin.

On May 13, 2026, the House voted to send the amendment, Proposal 4, to the ballot by a 128-14 vote. Of the 'yes' votes, 89 were Democrats, 32 were Republicans, three were Vermont Progressives, and four were independents. Of the 'no' votes, 13 were Republicans and one was independent. The Senate previously approved the amendment by a vote of 29-0 on March 11. In Vermont, in order for a constitutional amendment to be referred to the ballot, it needs to pass each chamber of the legislature in two legislative sessions. Both chambers of the legislature voted to pass the amendment in the 2024 legislative session.

Vermonters previously decided on an Equal Rights Amendment in 1986, which would have prohibited the denial or abridgment of rights based on an individual’s sex; however, this amendment was defeated, with 48.35% of voters voting ‘yes’ and 51.65% of voters voting ‘no’. 

In 1973, Vermont was the 28th state to ratify the federal Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which would have amended the U.S. Constitution to provide that the equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex. The federal ERA was not ratified by enough states by the 1979 deadline to take effect.

Vermont House Speaker Jill Krowinski (D-16), who voted for the amendment, said, “Proposal 4 is the culmination of decades of advocacy, countless hours of testimony, and a broad consensus among Vermonters that equal protection under the law is not a partisan issue, it is a fundamental right.”

Rep. Zachary Harvey (R-3), who spoke out against the amendment, said, “This is very much part of a cultural zeitgeist that is currently falling out of vogue, and that not many people are really subscribing to.”

Vermont voters will decide Proposal 4 on Nov. 3, 2026. Voters will also decide Proposal 3 on the same ballot, which would establish a constitutional right to collective bargaining.