Aquinnah considers electronic voting machines

The Aquinnah select board unanimously voted to add a consideration for electronic voting machines for future town meetings in the warrant article. Aquinnah town moderator Mike Hebert was the one who proposed the idea. 

“I feel that it might make things go more smoothly, save a little time, and also give people in the audience who are voting anonymity,” Hebert said. “There’s been some feel in town that’s something [voters] would really like.” 

Meridia Interactive Solutions representative Peter Babel, whose company supplies electronic voting systems, was invited to present to the board about this. According to Babel, there are 32 towns in Massachusetts using Meridia’s electronic voting system, with three more towns on the way this month. Instead of raising hands or using paper to vote, Meridia’s system is a hand-held, two-button keypad for yes or no answers. “It cannot get simpler than that,” he said. 

Babel said people will only be able to see the total number of votes on a screen, but the results can only be known after the voting is closed. This system also allows people to change their vote until the voting is closed. Additionally, the system uses radio frequency for its connection, so the internet is not needed. 

“We have spent, as you pointed out, a substantial amount of time during town meetings: counting votes, standing up, sitting down, and all of that, and all of the delays,” Aquinnah select board member Tom Murphy said during the question and answer period. “This will bring our voting process to the 21st century, which would be a welcome change from my perspective.” 

Aquinnah select board chair Gary Haley was also in favor of the electronic voting system, pointing out the importance of anonymity during the voting process. 

“Is there going to be time for a public hearing on this issue?” Aquinnah resident Jamie Vanderhoop asked. 

Getting feedback from Aquinnah residents would be the next step, Herbert answered. 

Another member of the public asked whether there would be a trial period to test it out. Babel said Meridia’s policy was to take back a system if a town is dissatisfied after a purchase. Additionally, Meridia staff can be at the meetings to help run it. 

Westwood is a town that has done this. 

Murphy said the price quote the board received was $5,220 for the machines. Aquinnah town administrator Jeffrey Madison said the town does not have enough funds in the budget to pay for the voting system. 

Voters will be asked to fund the machines at the annual town meeting in May.

In other business, the board unanimously voted to delay the decision about the use of 9 Aquinnah Circle. In a previous meeting, the use of the building was under debate because of the lack of voices from Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) members. The issue was sent to town counsel Ron Rappaport for review. Murphy and Haley said they did not have a chance to look over the report Rappaport sent back. The board unanimously voted to delay the discussion until the next meeting. 

The board unanimously approved extending Aquinnah’s scalloping period for another 30 days to clear out the old scallops from Menemsha Pond, as the Aquinnah shellfish committee put it. 

The board unanimously approved placing the committee’s request for funds on the warrant because codium, a Japanese aquatic plant, is “smothering Menemsha Pond.” Haley, in relaying the correspondence, read aloud a racial slur that references Japanese people, but was quickly called out by Madison. Haley then referred to the invasive species as “Japanese grass.” 

The Aquinnah shellfish committee wanted to put a request for funds on the warrant article to get rid of the invasive species.