Town Meeting is a New England tradition in which citizens decide matters ranging from spending and taxation to land use and who governs them. Once a popular event that attracted large numbers of residents, attendance has declined in recent years. In many towns, 10 percent or fewer of the total voting-age population shows up.
That is especially true of young voters. Citizens between the ages of 18 and 29 typically attend at rates 10 percent lower than those who are 30 and over. There are a number of reasons, from sports or job requirements to raising young children, but the most prevalent reason may be apathy.
Whatever their age, many voters have become politically disengaged, believing that their votes will do little to affect public policy. Additionally, political interest tends to decline in the years between presidential elections, so the turnout for state and local elections in off years tends to decrease.
On the other hand, many people are realizing that they can be most effective at local-level change, and they are starting to pay more attention to state and local elections and policies. That is likely to be the case this year, too, with a presidential election drawing more attention.
For those who are attending a Town Meeting for the first time — either because they have moved here from a place without town meetings or because their families never participated — and those who are relatively new at attending, this series of articles aims to serve as a primer on what the process is all about.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to By The Way to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.