As Vermonters in some 200 municipalities cast pandemic-safe March town meeting ballots Tuesday, a few towns didn’t let the threat of coronavirus stop their longtime tradition of voting from the floor.
Shift it, yes. But stop it, no.
Take Stratton, population 230. Local leaders advertised a Tuesday morning meeting at the town hall with such safety protocols as opening the windows, offering hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes, canceling the annual potluck lunch and creating the option of online viewing and voting from the parking lot.
But after meeting moderator Diana Stugger welcomed five residents to a room usually filled by 10 times that many, she immediately accepted a motion to join about three dozen other Vermont communities in postponing the proceedings from sugaring season until hopefully safer conditions this spring.
“It’s usually a pretty big get-together,” Stratton Town Clerk D. Kent Young said. “Some people wanted to do it and get it over with, but we decided to adjourn to a date and time certain.”
Kirby, population 615, also opened its annual meeting Tuesday morning, but quickly pushed the pause button. Five residents spaced out in the town hall elected Ethan Allen Institute founder John McClaughry as moderator for his 55th year. After a sixth citizen arrived, they voted to adjourn until May.
“That was flawless, I must say,” McClaughry quipped.
“Best you’ve ever done,” one resident replied.
Three northern Vermont towns held equally small and short meetings Monday night.
Addison, population 1,322, attempted to keep attendance manageable by gathering at its Old Town Hall.
“No heat and limited seating, so come prepared,” it warned. “Masks and social distancing will be required.”
Norton, population 142, figured its past meetings of about a dozen people gathering for about a half-hour portended well for the present.
“We have little on the agenda, and our town hall is big enough to hold all and still keep 6 feet apart,” said Town Clerk Gina Vigneault, who checked voters’ temperatures at the door.
And Woodford, population 285, met to vote on social services spending but decided its municipal and highway budgets by Australian ballot Tuesday.
In contrast, some 80% of Vermont’s 246 municipalities chose to temporarily replace shoulder-to-shoulder decision-making with online information sessions and safer elections.
[Read VTDigger’s 2021 Town Meeting Day preview.]
All but one of the 28 cities and towns with 5,000 or more people scheduled votes for local leaders, spending and special articles as they do annually on or around the first Tuesday in March. (St. Johnsbury, tapping a temporary state law allowing election options, won’t do so until April 6.)
They were joined by some 200 communities with smaller populations that, heeding a state recommendation that “meetings are strongly discouraged this year,” traded “in person” for “on paper” — a move that left election officials wondering whether turnout would be higher or lower as a result.
“Even though we do it for the general election, some have never used an Australian ballot for town meeting dates,” Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos said. “But we’ll get through this. This is a one-off year.”
Justin Trombly contributed to this report.
