It's that time again: Town Meeting is coming, here's what voters should know

Town Meeting is a New England tradition in which citizens decide matters ranging from spending and taxation to land use and who governs them. Once a popular event that attracted large numbers of residents, attendance has declined in recent years. In many towns, 10% or fewer of the total voting-age population shows up.

That is especially true of young voters. Citizens between the ages of 18 and 29 typically attend at rates 10% lower than those who are 30 and over. There are a number of reasons, from sports or job requirements to raising young children, but the most prevalent reason may be apathy.

Whatever their age, many voters have become politically disengaged, believing their votes will do little to affect public policy. Additionally, political interest tends to decline in the years between presidential elections, so the turnout for state and local elections in off years tends to decrease.

On the other hand, many people are realizing they can be most effective at local-level change and are starting to pay more attention to state and local elections and policies. That is likely to be the case this year, too, with a presidential election drawing more attention.

For those attending a Town Meeting for the first time — either because they have moved here from a place without town meetings or because their families never participated — and those who are relatively new at attending, this first of a series of articles aims to serve as a primer on what the process is all about.

Traditional v. Official Ballot

New Hampshire town meetings fall mainly into two categories: Traditional and Official Ballot (commonly known as SB 2, for the bill that established the alternative form of Town Meeting). Some communities have established charters governing how Town Meeting operates and cities operate under their own charters with special rules.

Whatever form Town Meeting takes, it operates from a warrant — a list of proposed articles to be discussed and voted upon. The articles include the election of local officers and proposed zoning amendments, which must appear on a ballot for a decision on Election Day, along with other articles recommended by town officials or placed by citizens’ petition. Those articles are debated during the business meeting.

Under the traditional Town Meeting, voters come together on a single day to discuss, debate, and vote upon the remainder of the warrant. The business meeting may take place on the same day as town elections or another day, generally during the same week.

Under SB 2, the business meeting (called a deliberative session) occurs in advance of Election Day. The deliberative session operates much the same way as a traditional business meeting, except that voters do not take a final vote to approve of reject an article. Instead, they establish the final form of the article, which may include increases or decreases in the amount of spending or how the money is raised. That final form of the article then goes onto the Election Day ballot for a decision at the polls (known as the second session).

SB 2 grew out of concern the traditional Town Meeting, at which every bill is discussed at length before the final vote, discouraged people from attending. The elderly, those with young children and those who otherwise did not want to attend a long meeting stayed home, leaving it to a relatively small number of people to make the decisions. By putting the questions on the ballot, all it takes is a quick stop at the polls to have a say.

The advantage of the traditional Town Meeting is more people attend the critical discussion and debate on the bills to make more informed decisions. Attendance at the deliberative sessions tends to be even lower than at traditional business meetings because people want to avoid the tedious arguments for or against the articles.

Whatever form Town Meeting takes, it provides a chance to participate in a community’s decision-making process.

The meeting operates under what is known as parliamentary procedure, whether through Robert’s Rules of Order or a more relaxed form that still preserves the orderly conduct of affairs. The rules for participation are left to the moderator, but voters have the right to overrule the moderator if they disagree with how the meeting is run.

In considering the articles on the warrant, a voter may make a motion to amend one, which requires a second from another voter. The discussion then focuses only on the proposed amendment before it goes to a vote. The vote may be verbal, a raising of hands or by ballot. If a voice vote is unclear, the moderator may call for a show of hands, which allows ballot clerks to count those in favor or opposing the amendment. Generally, a ballot vote is avoided because it prolongs the meeting, but in some cases voters may call for a ballot vote where their choices remain private, allowing them to be more honest than they might be when others will see how they vote.

By law, an amendment must preserve the purpose of the original article. An article to purchase a fire truck cannot be changed to maintaining an athletic field. However, the amount of money allocated may be amended.

A town attorney may advise that an amendment would not be legally binding, but voters still have the option of passing the amendment. In that case, it would be deemed advisory but unenforceable by a court of law.

Once an amendment is approved or denied, the debate returns to the main article, either as presented if the amendment has failed, or as amended if it has succeeded. Other amendments may be proposed until everyone agrees with the article’s wording. Then, in a traditional Town Meeting, voters approve it or vote it down. Under SB 2, it goes onto the Election Day ballot.

Any vote may be reconsidered until the meeting adjourns, which means it may come up again after most of the voters have gone home. To avoid a reversal of the decision, voters may ask to restrict reconsideration (or “protect my vote”) — a choice that prevents the matter from coming up again that session. Then, should someone ask for reconsideration, the meeting would reconvene at least seven days later, providing time to let voters know that the matter will come up again.

There are some warrant articles that require a ballot vote. An article that requires borrowing money must be decided by secret ballot vote, and if the amount of borrowing exceeds $100,000, the polls must remain open for an hour to allow someone who is not present to come and cast a ballot. Passage of such articles requires a two-thirds affirmative vote. (In SB 2 towns, bonds require a 3/5 affirmative vote to pass.)