Final Update: Our Measure was defeated in the May 19th Town Meeting, 167 - 90, with only 257 voters, out of 8968, in Attendence. Thanks to all who supported the initiative to restore democracy in Wayland.
Wayland Votes! is a group focused on improving the way Wayland Town Meeting operates so that it can be an effective form of government long into the future.
More than 40% of our 8800 registered voters routinely turn out for town elections, and participation reached 89% in the 2008 national election. Clearly, Wayland is not town of apathetic citizens. In fact, Wayland Votes! Yet Annual Town Meeting attendance averages just around 400 residents or 5% of voters (see Voter Turn-out). When Town Meeting attendance rises above about 1500 (still just 17% of voters) as it has in recent meetings, the meeting logistics break down, and both the legislative and voting process become dysfunctional. Wayland Town Meeting’s current structure does not effectively support full participation in Wayland's democratic process. Our primary goal is to increase voter participation in Town Meeting since the current format excludes many residents who cannot attend the in-person meeting.
Under our proposal, certain articles would be debated and amended at Town Meeting, but voting would take place at the polls using an Official Ballot (we use an Official Ballot for all elections of Town Officials today). Some have labeled this proposal an “Australian Ballot”, since an Official Ballot, issued in privacy, was originally started in Australia in the 1850’s, and was soon after adopted in the United States, first in Lexington, MA.
This would allow home-bound voters and those unable to come to the High School Field house to cast their votes in privacy either at the polls and or through mail-in Absentee ballot. This will open up the democratic process to more of the 8900+ registered voters in Wayland.
We can preserve Town Meeting for future generations by approving this Article, which: - Allows for full voter participation
- Preserves all legislative aspects of Town Meeting
- Allows more time at Town Meeting to propose, debate, and amend articles
- Ensures voting accuracy
- Adds minimal incremental operating costs
We encourage open feedback and respectful debate around this proposal.