Concord authorizes pursuit of home-rule petition for remote participation and voting at Town Meeting

The Town Meeting Study Committee presented Article 27, asking Town Meeting to authorize the Select Board to petition the state for permission (a home-rule petition) to allow remote participation and voting at open Town Meeting. Eric Moore summarized survey findings indicating strong public interest in lowering attendance barriers and framed the vote as authorization to begin a process, not immediate implementation.

Proponents described obstacles to participation — child-care needs, work schedules, disability and distance — and said the change could enfranchise people who cannot attend in person. “Nearly 80% favored being able to deliberate and vote remotely,” the committee reported from its survey, and multiple young and parent speakers urged beginning the process.

Opponents raised process and integrity concerns: side chats, parallel deliberations outside moderator control, fraud risk, difficulty in managing debate and diminished in-person deliberation quality; several speakers cited experience with hybrid representative town meetings that became much longer or harder to manage. After extended debate and a successful motion to end discussion, Town Meeting voted to authorize the Select Board to pursue a home-rule petition; the article passed 195–100. Supporters stressed that additional work would be required if the legislature approves the petition before any remote voting is implemented.