Medfield Town Voting: Antiquated and Inequitable

I have been reading local articles and posts reflecting on the recent town vote for the new elementary school, including comments that it was a “fair” vote. My husband and I were lucky to have both attended the Special Town Meeting, as my mom lives locally and was able to watch our kids for the three hours that the process took. What struck me was that most families we knew in town were only able to have one parent attend. I assume this was for a variety of reasons – kids’ sports and activities, parents who may work weekends, parents of small children with no local family to help, families who can’t afford childcare, families who are uncomfortable with hiring a babysitter during the COVID pandemic – the list goes on. Yet these are the families who will be affected most by the outcome of that town vote, which I would not call “fair.” I acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of the group who offered free childcare during the vote on 11/7; however, it was not available to all families due to age restrictions, and was not well-advertised so many were unaware that it was an option.

These past two years of the pandemic have taught us that we are highly adaptable, even if we don’t like to be. Much of the world converted to virtual living out of necessity – schools became virtual, those who could worked from home, we ordered groceries online, doctors practiced telehealth – and this all occurred rather quickly. I am therefore baffled that a town wide vote in 2021 involves a mandatory three hours in a gymnasium and wooden ballot boxes. I am guessing that this method dates back to a time when perhaps only the men of the family voted while the women were expected to stay home with the children. Whatever the reason for designing the original voting process, I can say with confidence that it is now antiquated.

I would like to propose that we take a hard look at this inequitable method of voting and adapt it to 2021. We could set up an option to vote online. Or, if that is too difficult, perhaps we could broadcast Special Town Meetings on Zoom and follow them up with a longer period of voting that would allow all residents of Medfield to come when they are able to, such as for the Special Election on 11/15. A longer voting period would at least allow parents to take turns casting their votes and eliminate most barriers to the voting process.

I understand that this matter is complicated, and I may not be aware of the bureaucratic mechanisms of town government, but I believe that it is imperative that this dialogue be initiated if we want future votes in Medfield to be truly fair. Thank you for listening.

Sarah Byrne, MD

Medfield Resident