This commentary is by Richard Scheiber, a resident of Cabot.
The Covid-19 virus and its variants have compelled most of us to consider our mortality, rather than to bury that salience in denial. Most of us have willingly taken the appropriate steps mitigating its risk, including vaccination, masking in public places, and a general awareness of the potential ill-effect that this particular microbe portends.
In short: the Covid-19 virus and its variants have produced a sharp contrast between life and death for most of us.
That same life vs. death contrast should be applied to local municipal elections here Vermont. 2022 is the first year where municipalities have an option to use the Australian ballot as the electoral instrument.
A distinct minority of Vermont municipalities have opted to remain with the voice vote from the electoral instrument. The VTDigger story of Feb. 13by Kevin O’Connor, “Almost 75 % of 2022 Vermont town meetings will give way to ballot votes,” indicates that the Australian ballot method of voting is the voting method preferred by 75 % of Vermont’s municipalities.
Consequently, the Vermont General Assembly should mandate the Australian Ballot method of voting for the election of all elected officials, budgets and public questions in municipal elections, generally retiring the voice vote from the floor method.
Why should the Vermont General Assembly amend 17 V.S.A. Chapter 055 to mandate Australian Ballot for annual and special municipal elections?
One: The voice vote from the floor suppresses the vote at these municipal annual and special elections.
Two: Elitist cliques have a very easy opportunity to get what they want using the voice vote from the floor method of election.
However, in deference to those who intend to maintain the voice vote from the floor method in their municipalities, they should have the statutory ability to opt out of using the Australian ballot with two caveats. One: a minimum 75% of the registered voters in that municipality must vote on that warning item in an annual or special election. Two: that vote must be by Australian ballot, with its provision for absentee balloting rather than by voice vote from the floor electoral method.
In an age where ultranationalism is on the rise, the political remedy countering its ascendance is more democracy. One facet of more democracy is the will to put our own electoral house in order on the municipal level.
That life vs. death contrast to our continuing democracy is reflected politically in voter suppression at the municipal level by the continued use of the voice vote from the floor electoral method.
The Australian ballot, with its provision for absentee balloting, provides for more democracy at the municipal level here in Vermont. Will the Vermont General Assembly rise to this occasion?
