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DEI Committee urges lowering petition signature threshold from 10% to 5% for ballot items
Summary
The DEI Committee asked the Selectboard to reinstate a 5% threshold for petition signatures to place items on Jericho’s Australian ballot, arguing 10% limits access for underrepresented groups; board members agreed more clarity and a written proposal are needed before action.
The Selectboard heard a request on Aug. 6 from the town’s DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) Committee to change the petition threshold that triggers automatic inclusion of an item on the Australian ballot. "Sue Kasser said the DEI Committee is asking the Selectboard to consider changing the threshold for petition signatures to put an item on the ballot from 10% to 5%." The committee argued that a 10% requirement creates an access barrier for groups without long-established networks and can disproportionately limit underrepresented voices.
Board members discussed how state law differentiates items "owned by the voters" from matters within the Selectboard’s purview, and how that affects whether 5% or 10% applies. Peter Booth noted that "By state statute, if 5% of voters sign a petition for something that is within the voters’ purview, there is no question." Members also debated whether Jericho’s current written policy is more permissive than neighboring towns or merely more complex and opaque. No vote was taken. The board asked Peter Booth to draft a clear explanatory document comparing current town policy with state statute and examples, and to return the topic for further discussion.
