Town Meeting Is Called!

Once a year, the people of Elmore, Vermont, gather to practice a cherished right: democracy

-  Nick Perry and Lisa Rathke

JULIE WANTS more donations to the food pantry. Kipp is busy knitting a sweater. Shorty is ready to ask: "Why is so much being spent on a truck?" The coffee, fresh-baked bread and doughnuts have been laid out. Eighty-seven voters have squeezed into the Elmore Town Hall.

Town Meeting is about to begin.

Across the United States, people are disgusted with politics. Many feel powerless and alienated from their representatives at every level-and especially from those in Washington. The tone long ago became nasty, and many feel forced to pick a side and view those on the other side as adversaries.

But in pockets of New England, democracy is done a bit differently. People can still participate directly and in person. One day each year, townsfolk gather to hash out local issues. They talk, listen, debate, vote. And in places like Elmore, once it's all over, they sit down together for a potluck lunch.

Town Meeting is a tradition that, in Vermont, dates back more than 250 years, to before the founding of the republic. But it is under threat. Many people feel they no longer have the time or ability to attend such meetings. Last year, residents of neighboring Morristown voted to switch to a secret ballot system, ending their town meeting tradition.

Not so in Elmore, population 879. Its residents are used to holding tight to traditions. They've fought to keep open their post office, store and school-the last one-room schoolhouse in the state.

Last fall, residents voted by a 2-1 ratio in favor of keeping their town meetings.

And so it is at 9 a.m. on the first Tuesday in March, when, atop an elevated stage, moderator Jon Gailmor stands up.

"Good morning, everyone, and welcome to democracy," he says. "This is the real thing, and we should all be proud that we're doing this."

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