By Dave Bernstein
Chair, Wayland ELVIS
Concord has taken a decisive step toward modernizing its democratic traditions. In June, residents voted to approve a home rule petition that would allow voters to participate remotely in Town Meeting, joining Wayland as one of the first communities in Massachusetts to pursue this path.
The move was led by Moderator Carmin Reiss, the Town Meeting Study Committee, and longtime residents David Allen and David Karr, who argued that Concord could not afford to stand still. At the same time, attendance at Town Meeting remained limited. Their message resonated: if residents can shop, bank and attend medical appointments online, why shouldn’t they also be able to participate in deliberation and vote at Town Meeting?
Concord’s petition was formally submitted to the legislature earlier this summer. It sets out a framework in which voters would register in advance with the Town Clerk, log in with secure credentials, and then be able to listen, speak, vote and even audit their ballots remotely. The system is designed with safeguards such as video check-ins to deter proxy voting and real-time auditing to catch discrepancies.
Wayland paves the way
Until now, Wayland had been the lone pioneer. Since 2021, Town Meeting has passed three warrant articles calling for hybrid participation. However, earlier home rule petitions never made it through the legislative process. Wayland has also built credibility by introducing electronic in-person voting in 2011, a reform that shortened meetings by an average of three hours and has since been adopted by more than 70 towns statewide.
Residents who supported the Concord measure cited obstacles familiar across Massachusetts: parents unable to find childcare on school nights, residents with mobility challenges, and commuters who can’t always rearrange their schedules. For them, remote access could mean the difference between being disenfranchised and having a say in local governance.
The timing is also significant. Representative Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury) has filed H.2274, a bill that would create a statewide local option for remote participation in open Town Meetings. The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Municipal Association and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council have all endorsed the measure. Advocates believe that Concord and Wayland can serve as model communities for others, showing how tradition and technology can coexist.
Bill now in committee
The legislature’s Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government is now reviewing both the home rule petitions and the statewide bill. For Concord, the hope is that taking early action will not only benefit its own residents but also encourage the state to pursue a broader modernization of one of New England’s most iconic democratic institutions.
