Town elections and some town meetings will take place today, although many of the so-called “business meeting” portions of town meeting will occur later in the week. For Official Ballot Act (SB2) towns, all of the items will be decided by ballot vote today.
Voters in Bristol will have a chance to consider a third type of town meeting if they approve an article on today’s ballot that would establish a charter commission. The charter commission would consider a hybrid approach to town meeting that would combine the best elements of the traditional town meeting and the best elements of the Official Ballot Act in what is envisioned to be a three-step meeting. The first session would be like a traditional town meeting where people discuss, amend, and vote upon the town warrant. The approved articles would then appear on a ballot for voter ratification, allowing those who could not attend the deliberative session to have the final say on whether those articles should be approved. A third in-person meeting would take up any article that failed ratification on the ballot. For instance, if the budget article is turned down, voters at the third session could then decide what a proper level of spending should be.
COVID Guidelines
The Centers for Disease Control has issued guidelines for those who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, saying it is safe to spend time with other vaccinated people indoors without a mask, and to visit with unvaccinated people from other households if they are in low-risk health categories.
The newly issued guidelines also say that, even if vaccinated people are exposed to COVID-19, they do not need to quarantine or get tested for the disease.
People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their final shot.
All Americans still should avoid large indoor gatherings, regardless of vaccination status, and even vaccinated people should wear masks and physically distance themselves in enclosed public spaces.
Ballot Recounts in Windham
A panel of national experts will be conducting a forensic analysis of Windham’s four Accuvote machines to determine whether the devices do accurately tally the votes cast.
A recount of the Rockingham District 7 House race resulted in seven of the eight candidates picking up about 300 votes each in Windham, while the person requesting the recount, Democrat Kristi St. Laurent, lost 99 votes. Such a large discrepancy has cast doubt on the accuracy of the voting machines, which are used in about 85 percent of the voting districts in the state.
All of the ballots cast at the Nov. 3 election will be run through each of the machines, followed by a hand count on two of the other races on the ballot. The forensic team then would produce a report for the Secretary of State.
In a related matter, House Bill 480 has been proposed to allow public access to ballots after a recount to ensure the integrity of the elections, but Deputy Secretary of State David Scanlan said his office opposes the measure, in part to avoid vote-buying.
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