Information from the Town Moderator

The fall iteration of Mashpee’s annual town meeting is Monday.  Town meeting is to towns in New England much like Congress is to the Federal government: it is the legislative body.  Voters here make the decisions on what to do and what not to do.  It is an important responsibility.  Fortunately, Mashpee voters always take their role seriously.  A robust turnout is always welcome.

There’s something new this time:  electronic voting (EV).  Like some one hundred towns across the state and a half dozen or so on the Cape, Mashpee has adopted EV.  Why?  It’s quick, accurate, secure, and private.  All registered voters attending will be issued a hand-held wireless keypad (aka “clicker”).  There is a button for YES and a button for NO.  When the vote is called, you will have about 20 seconds to enter your response.  As you do, the tallies are instantly displayed on a large screen and the moderator will announce the result.  Tedious time-consuming hand counts…and their inherent risks…go away.  As does public knowledge of how you voted.

Don’t worry…the technology is a stand-alone system. There is no connection to the internet or the Cloud and individual voting histories are not captured or retained.  The Select Board, Town Clerk and Town Moderator all endorsed the migration to EV earlier this year.  We recognize, as with anything new, that some orientation is necessary.  So we will give instruction and run a couple of sample “tests” with voters before tackling the actual warrant.

There is still a role for the traditional cards. Non-voting property owners who attend town meeting will be issued a card upon check-in.  The card is the ticket for being recognized by the moderator for non-voters who wish to address town meeting. The ability to speak at town meeting is provided for in the Town Charter.

The “blue book” every voter household received in the mail recently contains the twelve articles on the fall warrant, along with an overview and recommendations of the Finance Committee.  Bring the book with you (it is also available on the town’s website).  The book also contains a partial summary of rules and procedures, which have been updated to reflect the changes mentioned above. 

Town meeting starts at 7pm on Monday at the Middle-High School gym.  Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to avoid bottlenecks and delays when checking in to receive your voter keypad. See you there!

John Miller

Town Moderator