Guide to Participating at Town Meeting

No person should speak unless standing at a microphone and then only after having been ‘recognized’ by the Moderator.

It is both impolite and contrary to the rules of procedure to shout out “Question”, or “Move the Question” while seated, while someone else is speaking, or without being ‘recognized’.

When recognized, a voter should first state his or her name and address clearly and distinctly before making any statement.

Voters should be brief. It is a good idea to state at the outset why you have risen to speak: e.g., “I rise to speak in favor (or against) the motion to...” Voters may wish to summarize at the close of their remarks: “I hope the motion now pending is (not) adopted.”

Rather than repeat arguments already made, consider saying: “I concur with the statements made by the previous speaker(s) and for the same reasons urge you to vote (in support of) or (against) the main motion when it is put.”

A Town by-law restricts any one speaker to not more than ten minutes at any one time. The patience of other voters is often not as long.

A Town by-law restricts any one speaker from speaking more than twice on the same matter except to correct an error or a misstatement.

A person who is speaking on behalf of another (such as an attorney) is required to disclose that fact before making any statement.

A motion to reconsider is quite technical in nature. A person who intends to move reconsideration should discuss it in advance with the moderator. Generally the motion may be made at any time so long as a sufficient interval has elapsed since the last vote on the matter was taken, and/or additional information has become available, so as to give a reasonable basis to believe the meeting might vote differently. When the motion to reconsider is pending, debate is limited to why reconsideration should prevail and not to the merits of the underlying motion.

When one voter is speaking every other voter in the hall should pay attention to what is being said.

No person should interrupt a speaker unless some ‘rule’ is being violated. If a voter believes a rule is being violated they should rise in place, wait to be recognized by the moderator (For what purpose does the voter rise?) Voter: “I rise to a point of order.” Moderator: State your point of Order. Voter: “...The speaker is dealing in personalities, (or) the remarks of the speaker are not germane to the subject at hand”, etc.

Rather than read every warrant article the moderator may say “The chair asks unanimous consent that the reading of the article be waived (Pause) Seeing no objection it is so ordered.”

Voters should refrain from displaying their approval or disfavor towards a speaker by applauding or by any other means.