Letter: Sad scene at Town Meeting

Published: 03-23-2023 9:00 AM

The bile that has spread through national politics came to the Hancock Town Meeting on Saturday. What a pity.

We were treated to accusations of voter fraud, intimidation and dirty tricks when the warrant article for community power came to a vote. There was a healthy, lively debate, which is a good thing and to be expected. When the debate was over and the vote was called with a show of cards, the ayes won, 98-64.

The moderator called for a break at this point. Those of us who had other obligations left, as is customary at Town Meetings. During the break, someone approached the moderator to say they had seen a voter tear the card in half, the implication being that there may have been ineligible votes. Neither the moderator nor the counters had seen anything like this. That’s the accusation of voter fraud.

It was also suggested that voting with cards was intimidating and that the vote should be by secret ballot. That’s the accusation of voter intimidation. Note that a secret ballot can be requested instead of a voice vote or a vote by cards, but only before any vote is conducted. Finally, after many had left the meeting, believing that a legitimate vote had been held, a call for another vote was debated and, thankfully, rejected. That’s the dirty trick.

Town Meetings are rightly lively and sometimes contentious, but the idea that it’s OK to reject the results of a vote that you don’t like, and that it’s OK to try to overturn the result is deeply pernicious to a working democracy. We have a proud tradition of Town Meetings. It would be a shame if they were infected by the same disease that threatens our national politics.  

Peter Toumanoff

Hancock

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