Joe Cormier: Moultonborough town ballot voting results — what a turnout

To The Daily Sun,

Probably enough time has passed... On May 14, Moultonborough conducted its town ballot voting — 645 regular ballots and 34 absentee ballots cast. Total ballots 679 from a town of 5,091 residents and 4,244 registered voters was 13% of residents and 16% of registered voters. Wow, what a turnout. However, there being only one contested race might have influenced the turnout. Already know the results. Why bother? 

Article 7 (New Hampshire SB 2) of the business session of town meeting on May 16 had 266 votes according to the secret ballot count. That was 73 for "Yes" and 193 for "No" — 266 voters or 6% of the registered voters (5% of the residents) … for an “informed” upscale town like Moultonborough showed up to “get informed.” The local regimes were smiling.

Article 8 (March instead of a Town Meeting in May) vote was 213 — 76 "No" and 137 "Yes." Articles 7 and 8 were considered important and probably accounted for whatever the turnout was, or would be. You know, 213 of those that have to go to Town Meetings to be informed. Forget about texting or Facebook or etc., does anyone not have a cell phone today?

Setting aside the kidding, the fact is Moultonborough Town Meeting attendance is nominal unless a controversy is on the warrant. The perennial recreation center took a break this year, but will undoubtedly be back maybe next year, or at least a rebuild of the former Lion's Club.

There needs to be “an issue” to get folks to the business session. The Tuesday ballot voting is always higher and is determined by a different criterion. Voting on elected officials that you believe will perform “good enough” merits going behind a curtain for some minutes and filling in some dots. Exercising democracy, I think?

Joe Cormier

Moultonborough