Participation a must to sustain the ‘purest form of democracy’

This month, we were reminded that the “purest form of democracy in the world is the Town Meeting form of government.” We’re told it began in the 1600s, with Puritan landowners in New England, as the best means to decide matters of community interest while preserving local autonomy and self-governance. It was a practical improvement on the liberum veto parliamentary procedure attending the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of the 17th century, wherein each voting member held power of the veto.

We at Town Meeting are the legislative body.

Town Meeting Monday evening, June 2, 2025, reported fewer than 500 voters participating. The proceedings involved a trial of handheld electronic voting devices, “clickers.” For measures requiring a two-thirds majority to pass, several hundred voters were able to decide matters affecting the estimated 18,490 souls in town. Even fewer votes were needed if some abstained, missed their chance to click, were in the restroom, or forgot to vote.

It seems clear that the issue at hand is voter participation.

Clickers don’t increase participation, or save time, or make counting more accurate.

The sunk-cost fallacy also was pointed out regarding use of clickers — viz., flawed thinking that additional investment (time, money) is necessary to get “value” out of a prior expenditure when this is irrelevant to future decisions.

Rather, let us leap ahead of our clicker-equipped sisters and brothers in 70 neighboring towns and address the problem of alarmingly low voter involvement and citizen participation. 

Institute, coordinate, verify, and tally all forms of voting, including mail, remote voting online, use of electronic devices, and in all public buildings, over a period sufficient to maximize informed voter review, deliberation, cooperation, participation, and consensus.

Quam Firma Res Concordia.

Many of our voices are required for harmony.

David Netherton

Laws Brook Road