A Citizen s Guide To
VERMONT
TOWN
MEETING
Office of
the Vermont
Secretary of State
2008
INTRODUCTION............................................................2
C
HAPTER
1: The Origin of Town Meeting Day................3
C
HAPTER 2: What is Town Meeting Day?...............................4
C
HAPTER 3: What Happens on To w n MeetingDay?.........7
C
HAPTER 4: Typical Procedure Using
Robert s Rules of Order.............................8
C
HAPTER 5: Who May Participate?................................11
C
HAPTER 6: The Business of the Meeting......................12
C
HAPTER 7: Elections of Local Officials........................14
C
HAPTER 8: The Australian Ballot Alternative..............16
C
HAPTER 9: The Law: Annual Meetings........................1 8
O
THER PUBLICATIONS........................................................1 9
For more information or to order publications contact:
Office of the Secretary of State
26 Terrace Street
Montpelier, Vermont 05609-1101
802-828-2363
www.sec.state.vt.us
© May be reproduced for non-commercial purposes only.
Contents
Page
2 Vermont Secretary of State
On Town Meeting Day, the first Tuesday in March, citizens
across Vermont come together in their communities to discuss the
business of their towns. For over 200 years, Town Meeting Day
has been an important political event as Vermonters elect local
officers and vote on budgets. It has also been a time for neighbors
to discuss the civic issues of their community, state and nation.
This short publication is designed to help you learn about
Vermont’s Town Meeting Day, its history and how it works today.
We also hope that the materials in this booklet will help you get
involved in your town meeting.
Deborah L. Markowitz
Secretary of State
July 2008
Introduction
The Origin of Town Meeting Day
The first town meeting in America was in Massachusetts in 1633,
but the practice of direct democracy dates back to around 400
B.C. in Athens of ancient Greece. Unlike town meetings today, in
ancient Greece women, children and slaves could not vote, and
meetings required the presence of at least 6,000 citizens!
Vermont town meeting is a tradition dating back to before there
was a Vermont. The first town meeting was held in Bennington in
1762, 15 years before Vermont was created. In the late 1700s, as
today, town citizens in Vermont held meetings so that they could
address the problems and issues they faced collectively. Popular
matters of legislation in earlier town meetings included whether or
not to let pigs run free or whether smallpox vaccinations should be
allowed in the town (some thought vaccinations were dangerous).
Voters also decided what goods or labor could be used as payment
for taxes.
Town meeting also served a social function (as it does today),
bringing people together who might not otherwise know each
other. This can strengthen social ties within a town and help
people work together to tackle community problems.
Citizen s Guide to Town Meeting 3
Chapter 1
Exerpt from town meeting minutes dated October 2, 1839.
What is Town Meeting Day?
On the first Tuesday of March most Vermont towns hold a meet-
ing to elect local officials, approve a budget for the following year
and conduct other local business. Vermont town meetings (except
for Brattleboro where a system of representative democracy is
used) are the practice
of direct democracy.
That is, eligible citi-
zens of the town may
vote on specific issues
that are announced
through a warning.
The town meeting
warning tells us when
and where town meet-
ing will be held, and it lists all of the articles (topics) that are
going to be discussed and voted on at the meeting. The warning
must be publicized at least 30 days before the meeting.
Voting At Town Meeting
Towns can vote in two different ways at March Town Meeting –
by floor meeting or by Australian ballot. Most towns use a
combination of both voting methods.
The floor meeting is what we generally picture a Vermont Town
Meeting to be like – it is when people gather together at a public
meeting place like the town hall or local school to discuss and
vote on issues. Floor meetings can last a few hours – or they can
go all day. The length of the meeting depends on how many arti-
cles are on the warning and how much discussion there is over the
issues raised by the articles.
Chapter 2
4 Vermont Secretary of State
On the first Tuesday of
March most Vermonters hold
a meeting to elect local offi-
cials, approve a budget for
the year, and conduct other
local business.
Australian ballot voting takes only a few minutes. It takes place
at a polling place where voters mark a secret ballot which is
counted when the polls close. This is also how we cast our ballots
at the general election in November. Town Boards of Civil
Authority (BCA) determine when the polls open in the morning
(between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.). All polls must close at 7:00
p.m.
Most towns use a combination of Australian ballot voting and a
floor meeting. In 2008, 15 towns conducted all of the town busi-
ness using Australian ballot voting only, 61 decided all of their
business by floor vote, and 170 towns used a combination of both.
Floor Meeting
At a floor meeting there are no representatives (except in
Brattleboro, which uses a system of representative democracy as
mentioned earlier). Citizens speak directly for themselves, seeking
to clarify or amend items to be voted, or to persuade those present
on whether or not to vote for a particular measure.
Town Meeting Holiday
Vermont law makes town meeting a holiday for employees of the
state government. The law also gives an employee the right to
take unpaid leave from work to attend his or her annual town
meeting, subject to the essential operation of the business or gov-
ernment. An employee must give the employer at least seven days
notice if he or she wants to take advantage of this right to attend
town meeting. Students who are over 18 also have the right to
attend town meeting (unless the student is in state custody at a
secure facility). These students may not be treated as truants for
missing school to attend town meeting. 21 V.S.A. §472b.
Citizen s Guide to Town Meeting 5
Vermont law gives towns the flexibility to hold Town Meeting at a
time it believes will be more convenient for its voters.
Communities may choose to hold their floor votes on the Friday,
Saturday, or Sunday before Town Meeting Day. Australian ballot
voting must take place on Town Meeting Day.
Many factors can affect turnout at town meeting. For example, in
2001 there was a big blizzard. That year many towns postponed
their meetings. Towns that went ahead with their meeting had very
few people attending. Also, because many of Vermont’s schools
are not in session the week preceding town meeting, voters who
are parents of school children may be away on vacation. A small
percentage of Vermont’s towns hold their meeting on Saturday.
Many people were surprised to discover that turnout for Town
Meeting did not increase with Saturday meetings.
6 Vermont Secretary of State
Williamstown town
meeting, 1977.
What Happens on Town Meeting Day?
Over the past 200 years little has changed about what actually
happens at town meeting. The meeting begins with each town
electing a moderator who runs the town meeting. The town clerk
keeps minutes of the discussion and records the votes.
Every town begins its meetings in its own way. After the modera-
tor calls the meeting to order (by banging the gavel and asking
everyone to quiet down so the meeting can start), many towns
begin with the Pledge of Allegiance. Some introduce the select-
board or school board, some thank the volunteers who are provid-
ing food or displays at the meeting, some welcome and recognize
the oldest or newest members of the community, and some simply
get down to the business of the day.
The moderator begins the work of the meeting by announcing the
first article listed in the warning. After an article is voted on, the
moderator announces the next article listed in the warning. Unless
the voters decide to pass over an article or rearrange the order of
the articles, the meeting will address each article in turn, from the
first to the
last, until
they are all
addressed.
Vermont law requires that the moderator use a very formal proce-
dure to run the meeting called Robert’s Rules of Order. Robert’s
Rules of Order sets specific rules for the meeting to help the mod-
erator keep order and ensure that the meeting is fair. These rules
are published in a small book that can be referred to during the
meeting if necessary.
Chapter 3
Citizen s Guide to Town Meeting 7
Robert’s Rules of Order can be purchased in most
stationery stores or downloaded at
http://www.sec.state.vt.us/townmeeting/
Typical Procedure Using Robert’s Rules of Order
a) The Moderator reads the article: “Shall the Town give $2,000
to the ice rink for their youth hockey program?”
b) A voter raises his or her hand to be recognized (called on). The
moderator recognizes the voter and the voter stands up and makes
a motion to adopt the article: “I move the article.”
c) The moderator asks if there is a “second to the motion” (another
voter who wants to discuss and vote on the article): “Do we have
a second to the
motion?”
d) A second voter
“seconds” the motion:
“I second the
motion.” If there is
no second, the article
is “passed over” (not
discussed or voted
on.)
e) After the “second,” the moderator says, “It has been moved and
seconded that we...” and restates the motion in order to place it
before the assembly. The moderator then asks for any discussion
on the motion: “Would anyone like to begin discussion on the
motion?”
f) Voters raise their hands to be recognized by the moderator.
When a person is called on, he or she speaks to the moderator.
Voters may make statements in support of or against the proposal.
This discussion is called debating the motion. At any time, a
8 Vermont Secretary of State
Chapter 4
Voters raise their hands to be
recognized by the moderator.
When a person is called on,
he or she speaks to the mod-
erator. Voters may make
statements in support of or
against the proposal.
voter can move to close the debate. A motion to cut off debate
needs a two-thirds majority to pass. The moderator ensures that
everyone who wants to speak has a turn before anyone is allowed
to speak a second time. This prevents the debate from getting per-
sonal, and makes sure everyone has an equal opportunity to partic-
ipate.
g) A voter may move to amend the article: “I move to amend the
article by reducing the proposed amount to $1,500.” An
amendment can be rejected by the moderator (ruled out of order)
if it is not germane (relevant) or if it is hostile to (against) the
article. For example, an amendment that proposes to take the
$2,000 for the ice rink and use it instead for repairs on the town
pool would be rejected as hostile.
h) After an amendment is made, the moderator asks for a second,
and if there is one, the moderator will see if people want to dis-
cuss the amendment. At the end of discussion there will be a vote,
first on the amendment, and then, if discussion is complete, there
will be a vote on the original motion, as amended.
i) Each article on the warning can only have one amendment at a
time, and each amendment to the article can only have one amend-
ment to the amendment at a time. The votes go in reverse order.
j) There are three ways for the town meeting to vote on an article:
1. For a voice vote the moderator will say, “All in favor indi-
cate by saying Yea,” followed by, “All against signify by
saying Nay.”
2. If the moderator cannot tell the outcome of the voice vote
he or she can ask for a “hand count” (“All in favor of the
motion, please raise your hand.”)
Citizen s Guide to Town Meeting 9
3. If seven voters move to divide the assembly, the motion is
voted by paper ballot: “I move to divide the assembly.” The
moderator asks “Are there six more voters who ‘second’ this
motion?” If so, paper is passed out to all voters and they indi-
cate their vote by writing yes or no. The votes are usually
counted by the clerk and board of civil authority (local offi-
cials who help run the election) and are then reported to the
moderator.
No matter which voting method is used, a voter must be present to
vote at town meeting. A person cannot go home early and ask a
friend or family member to cast his vote for him.
k) After the vote is announced, the moderator moves to the next
article on the agenda by reading it to the assembly. If a voter inter-
rupts this reading by moving to reconsider the prior vote, the mod-
erator must stop his reading and ask if there is a second to the
motion to reconsider. The meeting may only reconsider a vote
once before going to the next item on the agenda.
10 Vermont Secretary of State
Who May Participate?
Only legal voters may participate in town meeting.
This means that non-voters (people who live in other towns,
young people, or people who live in town but who are not regi-
stered to vote) do not
have a right to speak
at town meeting. Of
course, non-voters
may never vote at
town meeting. The
meeting may vote to
allow a non-voter to
speak at town meet-
ing. To do this, the
voters must pass a motion to allow the individual to address the
assembly. This motion must pass by a two-thirds majority vote.
There is a well-known story about a governor who visited one of
Vermont’s town meetings and asked permission to address the
assembly. The town was unhappy about some piece of legislation
the governor had supported and as a result, the vote to permit her
to speak to the meeting initially failed. After some debate, a
motion to reconsider was passed and the governor was allowed to
address the meeting.
Chapter 5
Citizen s Guide to Town Meeting 11
No matter which voting method is
used, a voter must be present to vote
at town meeting. A person cannot go
home early and ask a friend or fami-
ly member to cast his vote for him.
The Business of the Meeting
At town meeting voters hear and approve of reports from town
officers, they elect new officials, and review and approve a budget
for the town. Voters also decide whether to raise money from
taxes to give to groups that serve the town, like a youth center, a
homeless shelter or a transportation program for the elderly. Some
communities also vote on the school budget (at a school district
meeting warned for the same day as town meeting).
Most items on the warning for town meeting are required by
Vermont law, but some articles are added by the selectboard (the
board of three to five people who are elected to run the town) so
that the board can get feedback or approval from the citizens on
an issue facing the town. Other articles can be added by local offi-
cials or by citizens who bring in a petition signed by five percent
of the registered voters of the town. (Forty days before Town
Meeting Day.)
Some towns discuss social issues facing the state or the country
like whether to ban genetically engineered seeds, whether to close
Vermont’s nuclear power plant or whether the country should to
go to war. These articles are usually added to the town meeting
warning by voters who bring a petition to the selectboard, but
occasionally a selectboard will agree to put the articles on the
warning without a petition.
Not every petitioned article must be included in the warning – the
topic for discussion must be an issue that the voters have the
power to decide.
Chapter 6
12 Vermont Secretary of State
One selectboard asked the voters to decide where the new town
hall should be built. This was an issue the selectboard could have
decided on its own – but it preferred to let the townspeople help
make such an important decision.
The budget is the amount of money spent to support the town
government. It pays for town buildings, roads, town employees,
the town library, etc . . . The budget is paid for by taxing the
property owned by individuals and businesses in the town.
Citizen s Guide to Town Meeting 13
Elections of Local Officials
Vermont law requires voters to elect a variety of officials at town
meeting. Some are elected to serve for one year. Others are elected
to serve for as long as a three-year term.
Vermont law requires local officials to be elected by paper ballot
(unless they are elected by Australian ballot). Towns that elect
officers at a floor meeting nominate candidates during the meeting
(a voter will nominate the candidate who can then accept or
decline to run). Once nominations are closed, paper is passed out
and voters write out their preference. If no candidate receives a
majority vote the moderator will ask voters to vote again. If no
candidate receives a majority of the votes by the third ballot, the
moderator eliminates the candidate with the least votes and repeats
the procedure until someone receives a majority of the votes. 17
V.S.A. §2660(c).
If there is only one person nominated for a position, a voter can
move to direct the clerk to cast a single ballot in favor of the per-
son nominated. This saves
time and paper!
In towns that vote by
Australian ballot, the per-
son who receives the most
votes wins (even if it is a
plurality of votes rather
than a majority). Towns
that elect officers by
Australian ballot require
candidates to submit a nominating petition signed by 30 voters or
one percent of the checklist – whichever is less. The petition must
clearly indicate the office and term length on the petition prior to
Chapter 7
14 Vermont Secretary of State
Vermont law requires
local officials to be elect-
ed by paper ballot (unless
they are elected by
Australian ballot).
circulating it for signatures. 17 V.S.A. §2681(b). The nominating
petition must be filed with the municipal clerk by 5:00 p.m. on
the sixth Monday preceding the day of the election.
In many towns it is difficult to find people willing to run for every
town office. If no one is elected at town meeting, the office is
vacant. The selectboard must appoint someone to fill the vacancy.
Citizen s Guide to Town Meeting 15
Examples of Local Officials Who Are Elected
at Town Meeting:
Moderator – Runs the annual town meeting and any special
meetings of the town held during the year.
Selectboard – A board of three to five people who run the
town. They implement decisions made at town meeting. (In
cities, voters elect a city council and mayor instead.)
Town Clerk – Keeps land records and records of marriages,
births and deaths and runs the elections.
Treasurer — Oversees the town’s finances, pays bills and bal-
ances the accounts.
Listers – Decides the value of land and buildings in the town.
(Properties that have a higher value pay a larger tax.)
Auditor – Reports on whether the town is handling and spend-
ing its money correctly. The auditor’s report is discussed at
town meeting.
The Australian Ballot Alternative
Most towns have adopted the Australian ballot system of voting
for at least some of the articles at town meeting. We also run our
state elections using Australian ballot.
The Australian ballot is a secret ballot. Under this system of vot-
ing, polls are open from at least 10:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.
Voters can show up within this timeframe to vote by marking a
printed ballot. Australian ballot voting was adopted in Vermont in
1892. It was the system of voting that was being used at that time
in Australia.
In contrast to floor voting at a traditional town meeting, the
Australian ballot allows people to vote quickly and at a time that
is convenient for them. This system also allows a person who is
sick or out of town, or who prefers not to come to the polls on
Election Day, to vote early or vote by mail by an absentee ballot.
Ballots are delivered to sick or disabled voters. At a traditional
town meeting you have to be present to vote – if you are sick or at
work you miss out. It is not surprising that towns that use the
Australian ballot generally have much higher voter participation
rates than those that do not.
A town must vote to use the Australian ballot system. Most towns
choose to vote on some topics this way and vote others at the tra-
ditional meeting. The law also requires certain votes be by
Australian ballot – such as votes on whether to borrow money for
over ten years to build a new town building. Most towns use
Australian ballot to elect town officers. In contrast to traditional
town meeting, where articles are routinely amended, the
Australian ballot system requires voters to vote yes or no to an
article.
Chapter 8
16 Vermont Secretary of State
Under Australian ballot voting, a warned article calling for the
town to spend up to $180,000 for a new fire truck lets voters
either accept or reject the
proposal. If a voter thinks
the selectboard is asking
them to pay too much for
the truck, all the voter can
do is vote no – the voter
cannot write in an alterna-
tive proposal.
If the article is rejected, the
selectboard can choose to
not buy the truck or it can call a second vote at some later date,
proposing a smaller amount to be spent for the truck. In contrast,
at a traditional town meeting any voter may suggest amending the
article to allow the town to spend less for the truck. It can all be
done at the same meeting – with no need to call for a second vote.
Citizen s Guide to Town Meeting 17
Australian ballot voting
was adopted in Vermont
in 1892. It was the sys-
tem of voting that was
being used at that time in
Australia.
2008 Town Meeting Voter Turnout
Towns that held both traditional town meeting and
Australian ballot voting:
10.4% turnout – traditional meeting
47.8% turnout – Australian ballot
13.6% – Absentee ballot
Towns that held only a traditional town meeting:
21.1% turnout
The Law: Annual Meetings
A meeting of the legal voters of each town shall be held
annually on the first Tuesday of March for the election of
officers and the transaction of other business, and it may
be adjourned to another date. When a town fails to hold an
annual meeting, a warning for a subsequent meeting shall
be issued immediately, and at that meeting all the officers
required by law may be elected and its business transacted.
When a town so votes, it may thereafter start its annual
meeting on any of the three days immediately preceding
the first Tuesday in March at such time of day as it elects,
and may transact at that time any business not involving
voting by Australian ballot or voting required by law to be
by ballot and to be held on the first Tuesday in March. A
meeting so started shall be adjourned until the first
Tuesday in March.
Notwithstanding section 2508 of this title (prohibiting
campaigning in a polling place), public discussion of ballot
issues and all other issues appearing in the warning, other
than election of candidates, shall be permitted on that day.
17 V.S.A. § 2640.
Chapter 9
18 Vermont Secretary of State
For more information on
Vermont town meeting, go to
www.sec.state.vt.us/townmeeting/
Citizen s Guide to Town Meeting 19
Most publications are available online at
www.sec.state.vt.us
About Abatement
Digging Deep A Guide to Cemetery and Burial Law in Vermont
Disability Etiquette: A Guide to Respectful Communication
Drawing Clear Lines: Adopting Conflict of Interest Ordinances for
Local Officials
Equal Access to Voting in Vermont: It s the Law
Getting on the Ballot: A Practical Guide for Social Service Agencies
Guide to Vermont s Town Clerks, Treasurers and County Clerks
Handbook on Property Tax Appeals
Handbook for Vermont Moderators
Justice of the Peace Guide
Law of Public Libraries
Matter of Public Record: A G u i de t o Vermont s Public Records Law
Pocket Guide to Open Meetings
Rules on School Governance
Short Guide for Vermont Public Notaries
Town Meeting Day: A Vermont Tradition Booklet and Teacher s Guide
for Grades 7 12
Town Mouse and Country Mouse Go To Town Meeting Booklet and
Teacher s Guide for Grades 4 6
Tune Up For To wn s
W h o s Who in Local Government
Vermont Town Meeting: C o lo r i ng a n d A c t iv i t y Book Grades PreK 3
Publications
Office of the Secretary of State
26 Terrace Street
Montpelier, Vermont 05609-1101
802-828-2363
www.sec.state.vt.us
