Gilford special election is today

Voters will have from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. today to register their opinion on the subject of changing the annual Town Meeting date from March to May. The polls will be set up at the Gilford Middle School.

The special Town Meeting — conducted under the rules of the official-ballot law, or SB 2 — was mandated by a petition submitted by a group of people who believe more residents would be able to participate in town affairs at the later date.

At the "deliberative session" held last month, the proposal was amended to make the change in the date of the town vote contingent on a corresponding vote in the date of the School District "meeting". School Board members have indicated they have no intention of moving their meeting date from its traditional March location, however, citing the necessity of adopting a budget for the following school year in time to be competitive in the teacher and support staff labor market.

The Board of Selectmen, likewise, have openly opposed the change in voting dates, pointing out it would require the town to operate without an approved budget for five months each year instead of three.

The question appearing on today's ballot reads: "Shall we change the date for elections and the second session from the second Tuesday in March to the second Tuesday in May, which would change the date for the first session to a date between the first and second Saturdays after the last Monday in March, inclusive, contingent upon similar action by the Gilford School District so that the annual official-ballot voting sessions of both the Town and School District shall continue to be coordinated and simultaneous?"