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Select Board hears push for remote participation and to trial electronic voting at town meeting
Summary
A town committee urged the Select Board to sponsor a home‑rule petition to allow remote participation and voting at town meeting; staff recommended leasing electronic clickers for a trial, and the board asked staff to develop a funding plan (ARPA and town meeting budget possible).
The Town Meeting Study Committee told the Select Board it supports a path to remote participation and electronic voting at Concord’s town meeting and asked the board to consider sponsoring a home‑rule petition to enable remote voting.
Eric Moore, representing the committee, said surveyed respondents strongly favored remote access and clickers—"nearly 80%" supported remote participation in the committee’s survey—and that clickers would speed votes that otherwise require lengthy paper counts. He asked the board to sponsor an article this year to authorize the select board to file a home‑rule petition with the Legislature.
Board members and the public raised concerns about representativeness, single‑issue voters and the logistics of implementation. Dean Danfield and Katie Bresnick, among others, urged greater accessibility, saying remote options would help parents and younger residents participate.
Amalia McCaffrey, the town’s chief information officer, presented options for electronic voting devices (clickers): basic purchase and rental prices were discussed as examples (purchase roughly $19,000 for 500 devices; rental roughly $14,000–$18,000 depending on count and services). She advised a lease/trial to test operations, training and auditability rather than an immediate large capital purchase.
Town Manager Carrie said the town has about $100,000 in its town‑meeting line and suggested ARPA funds could be a possible source to pilot leased devices. Several board members expressed support for leasing devices for an initial trial and asked staff to return with a funding plan and procurement approach.
The board did not vote to sponsor a home‑rule petition that night; members indicated they want more input and time to consider operational, legal and regional coordination questions before committing language for the warrant.
