League of
Women Voters of the Upper ValleyLeague of
Women Voters of the Upper ValleyChapter 2: Town Government: Town Meeting and Elected Officials
All registered voters are encouraged to participate in the yearly Town Meeting, a living example of direct democracy. This chapter explains how you can participate in Town Meeting and in electing or running for town office. Chapter 3 will cover another important way you can participate—that is, in appointed town boards and committees.
Annual Town Meeting: Town Meeting is a phenomenon unique to New England; the legal and historical bases for Town Meeting are the Hanover Town Charter, the New Hampshire Constitution, and New Hampshire statutes.
Town Meeting is a meeting of citizens who come together to form the legislative body of the town. It is held yearly, the second Tuesday in May, to elect town officers, adopt the town budget, and consider other town issues. The meeting consists of two parts: (1) daytime ballot voting (in New England, a secret ballot is referred to as an "Australian ballot") for elected officers and zoning amendments, and (2) evening open business meeting for all other agenda items, including the proposed budget.
The Town Meeting agenda is called "the Warrant." Prepared by the Select Board, it includes Election Day information and "Warrant articles" (that is, items to be voted on). Some of the articles are followed by a written justification for the item under consideration. Only articles listed on the Warrant may be considered at the meeting, and articles are usually voted in the order in which they appear on the Warrant. Most articles are placed on the Warrant by the Select Board or a town committee; however, an article may be placed on the Warrant by a petition of 25 registered voters submitted in writing to the Select Board at least 35 days before Town Meeting.
In April, at least sixteen days before town meeting, the Annual Report is mailed to local taxpayers; the Annual Report is also available at Town Hall, town libraries, and the meeting. The Annual Report includes the Warrant, as well as other items for the information of the citizens—including the proposed budget; a list of town board and committee members and reports from those committees; a list of town administrators and reports from town departments; and the tax rate and fee schedule.
The Warrant itself includes two sets of articles: (1) "ballot Warrant articles" to be voted on by ballot at the voting polls—including election of town officers (candidates’ names appear on a previous page in the Annual Report, under "Candidates for Town Office"), zoning amendments, and state referenda, and (2) other Warrant articles to be discussed and voted on at the open business meeting—including the proposed budget.
You are encouraged to read the local newspapers for election coverage, and, in the case of contested elections, to attend Candidates’ Night—a public forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters—to meet and question the candidates. Candidates’ Night is broadcast on the community access channel 8. The town website: www.hanovernh.org and this League of Women Voters website also contain updated pre-election information for voters.
Town Meeting takes place in two parts. See the Annual Report, mailed to taxpayers each year, for details on time and place.
Ballot voting: Voting on items listed in the Warrant as "ballot Warrant articles"—including voting for candidates for office, zoning amendments, and state referenda—is conducted by ballot during the day of Town Meeting (the second Tuesday in May). Voting takes place from 7 am to 7 pm, usually at the Hanover High School gym.
Business meeting: The other items listed in the Warrant, including the budget, are considered at an open meeting, called the "business meeting," held at 7 pm, usually on the same day, in the Hanover High School gym. All registered voters are entitled to participate in the discussion and to vote. At an open town meeting, citizens sit down together and discuss, modify, and vote. All votes are by a show of hands unless there is a motion for or a state requirement for a written ballot. It is possible to amend articles under discussion, to move to stop debate, to take no action on an article, or to reconsider an article previously passed at that meeting. The Town Moderator presides and the Recording Secretary prepares the minutes. Town Meeting is televised live on channel 8.
Ballot items: You may vote by absentee ballot on the items decided by ballot voting by requesting an absentee ballot from the Town Clerk’s office at Town Hall, and delivering it in person by 5 pm the day before Town Meeting or by mail by 5 pm the day of Town Meeting.
Business meeting items: You must be present, however, to vote on or contribute to discussion of any Warrant items to be discussed at the business meeting. No absentee balloting is allowed on these items.
In addition to the annual Town Meeting, a special Town Meeting may be held any time during the year, except during the 60 days before the annual town meeting; however, this infrequently occurs. A special meeting to raise monies requires the permission of the Superior Court.
The Select Board and Other Elected Town Officers: You are encouraged to participate in your local government by attending meetings, by contacting your local officials to voice your views, and by running for office yourself. For updated information about current members and vacancies, see www.hanovernh.org. To become a candidate for town office, file at the Town Clerk’s Office at least 40 days before the election, as announced in the newspaper. All contestants for local positions run without party identification. Some elected officials receive nominal stipends.
The Select Board and Town Manager: The Select Board—so named because members are selected on Town Meeting day—performs the Town’s executive functions for the rest of the year. The five members are elected for staggered three-year terms. The Select Board implements Town Meeting decisions, appoints members of town boards and commissions to help them in their work, and hires the Town Manager. The Town Manager is a full-time chief executive officer for the town, who helps the Select Board conduct town business, hires town personnel, and serves as administrative head of all town departments.
In addition to the elected officers and boards described here, town government also includes the appointed boards and committees—as described in the following chapter.
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