A constitution establishing Vermont as an independent republic was adopted in 1777. The constitution that governs the state today became effective on 9 July 1793. By January 2003, that document had been amended 53 times.
The general assembly consists of a 150-member house of representatives and a 30-member senate. All legislators are elected to two-year terms. Regular sessions are held in oddnumbered years, with the provision that the legislature may (and in practice, does) divide to meet in even-numbered years. Sessions begin in January and are not formally limited in length. Legislators must be at least 18 years old and residents of the state for at least two years and of their districts for at least one year. In 2003 the legislative salary was $536 per week, unchanged from 1999.
State elected officials are the governor and lieutenant governor (elected separately), treasurer, secretary of state, auditor of accounts, and attorney general, all of whom serve two-year terms. A governor must have been a state resident for at least four years prior to election; no minimum age is specified for the office. In 2002 the governor's salary was $88,026, unchanged from 1999.
All bills require a majority vote in each house for passage. Bills can be vetoed by the governor, and vetoes can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of those present in each legislative house. If the governor neither vetoes nor signs a bill within five days of receiving it, it becomes law. If the legislature has adjourned, an unsigned bill dies after three days. A constitutional amendment must first be passed by a two-thirds vote in the senate, followed by a majority in the house during the same legislative session. It must then receive majority votes in both houses before it can be submitted to the voters for approval. Amendments may only be submitted every four years.
Voters must be US citizens, at least 18 years old, and state residents.