Via Community News Service, in partnership with the University of Vermont for Shelburne News
SHELBURNE — Many Shelburne voters are expected to file in and out of the voting booth Tuesday, March 3 to make decisions on town spending, school spending and various elected positions. As they weigh the issues on the ballot, town clerk Diana Vachon and her team work to make sure things run smoothly.
That involves plenty of preparation, which Vachon juggles with other town clerk responsibilities that put her in charge of everything from land records to pet licences to passport forms.
Across Vermont, the job of town clerk entails a broad range of duties including overseeing elections for the upcoming Vermont Town Meeting Day on March 3.
“Town clerks are the center point of a town and are at times the heart beat,” said Ted Brady, executive director of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.
Vachon juggles the varied aspects of being town clerk and stays upbeat, according to Matt Wormser, Shelburne selectboard vice chair.
“Diana puts a smiling face on the many vital duties that town clerks perform in any Vermont community, from organizing multiple elections in a typical year, to items as diverse as maintaining public records on voting, real estate records, births, pet licenses,” Wormser said.
Vachon’s preparations for the upcoming voting include testing the memory cards that will be used in the ballots to ensure they read correctly, meeting with poll workers to decide on shifts and setting up the polls with the help of the maintenance crew.
“She and her team play a key role in delivering on the behind-the-scenes essentials for civic health in Shelburne,” Wormser said.
While Shelburne saw a majority of vote-by-mails during the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person voting is more common now.
“People like to come and be social and see their neighbors and vote in person if they can,” Vachon said.
She has worked as Shelburne’s town clerk for the last decade. Prior to her current role, she was in charge of bookkeeping at a senior living community.
“I saw the ad on Front Porch Forum, and it just kind of lit up for me,” Vachon said. “So I applied, and I’ve been on this adventure for the last 10 years.”
Vachon is also the president of the Vermont Municipal Clerks’ and Treasurers’ Association. She has had this role since September 2025 and works closely with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, the Vermont Secretary of State and Vermont Elections Division. In this role, she connects clerks with state groups to provide expertise.
“While it’s a lot of work going above and beyond, it is so rewarding,” Vachon said. “The strong relationships we create are essential to our jobs and lives. The education and support we give each other is invaluable.”
During this busy time of year, Vachon relies on the support of various people, such as poll workers, volunteers and her two assistants, Lisa Mann and Sue Moraska.
“We’re here to serve the public, and I think the most important thing is to be helping residents with notaries, records, protecting election security and helping them navigate local government,” Vachon said. “I love being the town clerk. It’s such an honor to be able to serve my community.”
Shelburne will hold a Town Meeting dinner at 5:15 p.m. to be followed by a hybrid meeting with one floor vote and discussion starting at 7 p.m. March 2 at Shelburne Community School.
Voting by secret ballot on Town Meeting election matters runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m March 3 in the Town Center gymnasium.
For full details visit https://www.shelburnevt.org/208/Elections-Voting