Non-profit seeking government transparency and accountability releases Chittenden County public safety poll.

Burlington, Vermont – Campaign for Vermont Prosperity (CFV) today released the results of a sweeping public safety poll of 512 likely Chittenden County voters. The survey sheds light on how Vermonters from across the political spectrum feel about the state of public safety in their communities. The findings reveal a county that feels markedly less safe and is demanding stronger accountability from its leaders.

Chittenden County Public Safety Poll

Chittenden County • All Voters • May 2026

Comprehensive survey of 512 likely voters reveals deep concerns about safety, crime, drug offenses, and accountability in Vermont's most populous county.

With the 2024 legislative session just weeks away Campaign for Vermont commissioned a statewide public opinion poll looking at a number of contested policy differences between the Legislature and the Governor to see what Vermonters actually think. The results surprised us.

The final batch of poll results released by CFV show rising concerns about Vermonter's safety and the new payroll tax. Results also showed that the legislature's effort to increase their pay and benefits did not sit well with voters and a surprising level of support was found for a hypothetical Taxpayer Bill of Rights policy that mirrors Colorado.

In the third batch of poll results released by CFV (see below), we discover Vermonters thoughts and feelings around climate change and the efforts of the state to address our obligations to the environment. While two-thirds of Vermonters support the goals of the Paris Climate Accord and carbon-neutrality, most are not willing to shoulder any additional financial burden to meet those goals. Further, specific policies the Legislature is advancing do not hold up well to public opinion.

In the second batch of poll results released by CFV (see below), we discover that Vermonters identify housing, cost of living, and public safety as the top issues. Further, respondents gave highly negative ratings on key issues, such as 77% giving the availability of affordable housing the lowest possible score. Infrastructure and general economic sentiment also found poor ratings with 73% and 69% negative respectively. Even education, which historically Vermonters are proud of, only found 34% positive ratings. Perhaps even more telling is that negativity towards public schools shot up to 71% in households with children, indicating that parents with school-aged children are more likely to have a negative view of the quality of education than the general public.

Today we announced the partial results of a scientific public opinion poll of Vermonters. The survey interviewed 400 randomly selected Vermont residents to measure their feelings towards state leaders, various issues that policymakers are pursuing, and general sentiments about the direction the state is heading.

“What we have found is shocking. Vermonters have very clear opinions on a number of policy differences between the Administration and the Legislature. And consistently the legislature has missed the mark in setting their priorities.”

-Pat McDonald, CFV President

The 2022 legislative season is in full swing. As the legislature transitions back to in-person meetings and start to advance larger policy issues, we launched our annual survey to gather Vermonter's thoughts on what our priorities should be.

In order to further our goal of advocating for issues that boost working class Vermonters, we surveyed Campaign for Vermont followers about what issues impact their daily lives to most, what is most likely to improve the social and financial situation of a family, and what issues people would most like to see the legislature tackle. Here are the results!