Item Coversheet


Town of Arlington, Massachusetts


ARTICLE 12
Warrant Article Title:
HOME RULE LEGISLATION/CONSOLIDATION OF TOWN MEETING MEMBER ELECTIONS
Warrant Article Text:
To see if the Town will vote to authorize and request the Select Board to file Home Rule Legislation to reform the nomination and election process for Town Meeting seats to permit the consolidation of elections of Town Meeting Members when there are vacant seats into a single election per precinct, such that the highest vote-getters win the longest available terms, to promulgate regulations to effectuate the same; or take any action related thereto.
Requested by:
(Inserted by the Select Board and at the request of the Election Modernization Committee)
Discussion:
*This articles returns to the Warrant from the 2020 Annual Town Meeting. The above-requested special legislation proposes to improve the election of Town Meeting members by amending the Town Manager Act in two ways. First, it aims to consolidate all seats within a given precinct, including vacancies, into the same competition for votes. Second, it rewards candidates who obtain the most votes regardless of which types of terms were open, a full term or the remainders of vacated seat terms. Thus, the candidates for Town Meeting who obtain the most votes in any given election would be seated for three year seats, and the successful candidate who gains the least number of votes, the shortest term available (one or two year remainders). Similar provisions exist in other town meeting communities including Lexington, and the Select Board endorses these adjustments in favor of awarding those candidates receiving the most votes the longest terms, thereby providing greater incentive to run for vacated Town Meeting seats.
Vote Language:

That the Town does hereby request and authorize the Select Board to file Home Rule Legislation to provide substantially as follows:

“AN ACT AMENDING THE TOWN MANAGER ACT OF ARLINGTON RELATIVE TO THE ELECTION OF TOWN MEETING MEMBERS”

Section 1. Chapter 503 of the Acts of 1952 (The Town Manager Act of Arlington) as subsequently amended, is hereby amended by inserting after Section 8 the following new Section 8A.

Section 8A. Election of Town Meeting
The election of the members of Town Meeting shall continue as presently provided subject to the following exception.

In the event of a vacancy or vacancies in the office of town meeting member, the Town Clerk shall determine the number of full terms and the number of unexpired terms to be filled at the annual election. The ballot shall indicate the total number of town meeting members to be elected, and the candidates shall be listed together on the ballot. The candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected to the 3-year terms to be filled at the election; the candidates receiving the next highest number of votes shall be elected to the 2-year terms to be filled at the election; and the candidates receiving the next highest number of votes shall be elected to the 1-year terms to be filled at the election. In case of a tie vote affecting the division of terms, the members elected from the precinct, including those receiving the same number of votes to gain election, shall by a precinct ballot administered by the Town Clerk, determine the division.

Section 2. This Act shall take effect upon its passage.”

(5 – 0)

 

Select Board Report

Election Modernization Committee Report

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