Please Vote NO to Australian Ballot for Fletcher Town Meetings

[fletchtb]

Here in Fletcher we have been having a discussion about whether or not to adopt Australian Ballot voting for both the Town Budget and the School Budget since Town Meeting Day last March.

On Monday night, Pam Jedlicka (a resident of Fletcher) submitted a petition to the Town Clerk that once verified will require a Special Town Meeting in Fletcher to decide the matter.

Since the beginning of the conversation, I have been in favor of maintaining Fletcher's 220+ year floor vote tradition. I invite you to take a look at a website I have created in opposition to the motion www.preservefletchertownmeeting.org.

While this post is geared mostly towards the residents of Fletcher, I welcome everyone's feedback. I am especially interested in the thoughts of Fairfax residents who remember when Fairfax adopted Australian Ballot voting. The promise of Australian ballot voting is convenient voting access for all registered voters, but in my view the reality does not live up to the hype. In reviewing Fairfax Town Meeting voting statistics on the VT Secretary of State's website, it looks like Fairfax Town meeting attendance can be as low as 4% with budget voter participation around 20%. The Town of Fletcher has about 14% participation at Town Meeting and I think with a little effort that could be significantly higher.

I look forward to your thoughts and if the forum is interested, I will continue to provide updates as the process unfolds.

Thanks,
Todd Baumeister

[rod anode]

todd this is the only way we can get enough of the common folk out to vote ,most of us cant afford to take time off from work to be there and this is the only way to DEFEAT the high spending liberals on the school budget ,so I say the hell with tradition ,it`s time we bring it to the 21st century,I would like to see voting from online sources or by texting

[Henry]

Back in 1954, at the age of 21, my first year I was able to vote, I took the day off from work, without pay to attend Town Meeting here in Fairfax.  Employers have always been required to allow you the time off to vote, but are not obligated to pay you and Town Meeting requires you to take the whole day off.

I got up at Town Meeting and suggested that Fairfax adopt the Australian Ballot for budget purposes and I will never forget the severe scolding I got from a leading lady resident in Fairfax who lived on Hunt Street at the time, as she made me feel about 3 inches tall for even suggesting such an undemocratic thing here in the town of Fairfax.  My pay was not very high - $1 an hour and I worked in Burlington at the time, but the $8 I lost hurt just a bit also.

We may not have a big attendance here at our Town Meetings, but every registered voter has the opportunity to express themselves and if they have questions on something also has the ability to get further explanations if necessary.

Another situation is that my wife also worked and then in later years was disabled and unable to attend town meeting, however, with Fairfax adopting the Australian Ballot that changed things and she was also able to express herself.

Now, it might be fine and dandy to have the old style Town Meeting, but in my opinion, that is the undemocratic way, when you look at the percentage of people who have the power to accept or reject your town & school budgets.

Sorry to disagree with you Todd, but as you might have guessed, I am extremely happy that we have the Australian Ballot here in Fairfax.

[Carolyn Branagan]

I remember a number of years ago when Georgia switched from voting on the floor to Australian Ballot for the school  budget.It had been debated for a number of years, but when the change was made, there  was no doubt about the increase in number of votes cast. About twice as many people vote on Australian Ballot items when compared to votes cast in the open Town Meeting. Now in Georgia the school budget and town and school district officers are always on  Australian Ballot. The rest of warned items are voted in the open Town Meeting.  Articles voted in the open meeting  include the town budget, and when we compare the number of votes cast on the town budget versus the school  budget we can really see the increase in voter participation. 
Getting information out to the voters is more difficult when articles are voted by Australian Ballot, but the boards can  come up with creative ways to communicate with voters. Of course the voters have a responsibility to inform themselves  too. 
It will be interesting to see how the Fletcher vote comes out.

Carolyn Branagan

[mkr]

I am from Fairfax and I really am glad for the Austrailian ballot.  You actually discriminate who can vote by having it at the town meeting.  Disabled, shut-ins who cannot get there and sit all day.  Families have to send one parent or single parents have to find a babysitter for the day.  Those who have to work to survive and cannot afford to take the day off for town meeting.  I am given time to vote, but not sit at town meeting.

Todd, I understand your value of tradition, but truly the ballot allows all to participate which is the way to go.

[rod anode]

THANK YOU all ..............