"That majority (of living inhabitants), then, has a right to depute representatives to a convention, and to make the constitution that they think will be the best for themselves."

--Thomas Jefferson 1816.

The Vermont Alliance for Locally Initiated Democracy

Our Mission

The Vermont Alliance for Locally Initiated Democracy (VALID) was founded in 2006 to assist citizens in building sustainable communities through rights-based organizing strategies. Rather than allowing regulatory bodies to make important decisions for us, we believe that citizens, as the governing authority, have the right to make key policy decisions democratically through our local governments. We seek to educate and empower citizens to enshrine their values and vision for the future of their communities into binding, enforceable, local law.