Alna-Secret Ballot-Town MeetingBack to Meeting & Minutes Page Date: March 12,2008 Time: 07:00 PM - 09:00 PM Location: Alna Town Office Meeting Minutes:
Billie,
Our plan I believe is fine.
The moderator runs the meeting and "the moderator shall ensure" to me means
that he'll choose trusted capable people to man the meeting entrance and
give one ballot of each color to each Alna resident. Those at the entrance
I don't believe need to be the moderator, or even the deputy moderator, only
trusted capable people.
In other words when we've had secret votes in the past, the moderator
doesn't personally give out paper slips to each resident; instead he
delegates that duty to trusted people. By using trusted people, rather than
say a couple of drunken felons, he's ensuring that the process is done
correctly.
The moderator also needs to ensure that for each article, the right color
ballot is used for voting. I think he can do that by repeating that
direction several times to the town meeting before each vote.
John
-----Original Message-----
From: John Green [mailto:jdgarden@tidewater.net]
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 6:25 AM
To: Green John J BATH
Subject: Fw: Alna-Secret Ballot-Town Meeting
----- Original Message -----
From: Willard, Billie < mailto:BWillard@sweetser.org >
To: jdgarden@tidewater.net
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 6:24 PM
Subject: FW: Alna-Secret Ballot-Town Meeting
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Flewelling [mailto:rflewelling@memun.org]
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 1:57 PM
To: Willard, Billie
Subject: RE: Alna-Secret Ballot-Town Meeting
Dear Billie,
I know of no legal reason why copies of the warrant or copies of a
particular warrant article cannot be distributed to the voters either as
they enter or when the article is to be acted upon. The color of these
copies is also unregulated by law.
However, the color and contents of written ballots is regulated. Title 30-A
MRSA Section 2524(5) reads as follows:
5. Written ballots. The clerk shall prepare the ballots. Ballots shall be
of uniform size and color, and must be blank except that 2 squares with
"yes" by one and "no" by the other may be printed on them. The moderator
shall ensure that each voter receives only one ballot for each vote taken.
This means that the ballots themselves may not contain anything other than
"yes" and "no" squares. Specifically, they may not include the warrant
article. They must also be the same color for the same warrant article. In
other words, it would be impermissible to have two different colored ballots
for the same question.
I hope this clarifies matters. Please let me know if I can be of any
further assistance.
Sincerely,
Richard P. Flewelling, Esq.
-----Original Message-----
From: Willard, Billie [mailto:BWillard@sweetser.org]
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2008 12:01 PM
To: Legal Services Department
Subject: Alna-Secret Ballot-Town Meeting
We understand that written ballots are authorized at a town meeting
only if they are blank, or contain only two squares marked "yes" and "no"
At the town meeting later this month, we expect that for two
articles , motions will be made to vote on those articles by secret ballot.
As people enter the town meeting room and are checked to determine
Alna residency, we would like to hand residents two different colored slips,
each containing only two squares marked "yes" and "no". This is what the
committee ask me to find out.
Last night when I talked with the committee, they wanted to pass out
the warrant article on the same colored paper as the "yes" and "no" slip to
each person that was qualified to vote at the town meeting. They think this
will make the issue less confusing. I guess the question would be can we
pass out the complete warrant along with the "Yes and No" slips?
I think that the other question becomes can they pass these slips
out as the citizens come into the meeting. I believe that it is clear that
they can have slips passed out when the article is read and then voted that
it will be by secret ballot but, can they be passed out in advance.
My e-mail at work is BWillard@sweetser.org
Billie G. Willard
First Selectman, Town of Alna
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