The final question on Boothbay’s secret ballot this year was a seemingly simple one: Do you favor having all voting at town meeting conducted by secret ballot? 

Out of the 505 people who responded, only 85 votes split the outcome, 295 to 210, in favor of Boothbay’s town meetings being changed completely to secret ballot. 

The shift marks the second time in 10 years Boothbay voters have favored a secret ballot over the hybrid-town meetings in which one part is conducted at the polls during the day, and the other by a show of hands at night. 

“I sat in this chair four of five years ago, arguing to keep (open) town meeting,” Selectman’s Chairman Steve Lewis said on May 14, two weeks after town meeting. “When you can get 5 to 600 people voting on something during the day, and anywhere between 50 and 100 at night, what’s the actual snapshot of the public?” 

Town meetings will be conducted purely by the paper and the pen if the Boothbay selectmen deem it necessary. But does higher voter turnout mean that voters are showing up to polls more informed than at an open town meeting? For some towns, the secret ballot isn’t always the clear cut choice.  

Two months ago, the Wiscasset selectmen voted to return to an open town meeting forum, effectively overturning a 2005 non-binding vote to conduct town meetings entirely by secret ballot. Their reasoning was based on the fact that open town meetings provide meaningful discussion, and allow voters to be better educated on the local issues. 

“This is usually what happens with these referendum votes,” said Boothbay Town Manager Jim Chaousis. “You have some people who historically like town meeting, so they grumble about it and it gets brought back.” 

But some voters, including Tom Hagan of Boothbay, have criticized open town meetings as nothing more than a rushed effort to get through as many articles as possible, without really taking the time to dissect the questions. 

On May 5, there were over 30 questions that took a year of discussions to get on the town warrant. Boothbay’s open town meeting portion wrapped up in less than an hour. However, the secret ballot, which was open for 10 hours, drew five times the people who attended the open town meeting. 

While both the secret ballot and open town meetings have advantages and disadvantages, many voters prefer both formats as a way for all constituents to come together to make decisions that affect the town. 

“It’s nice to have the old fashioned town meeting up at the town hall,” said Selectman Chuck Cunningham. “But it’s also nice too, to hear from 500-plus people (on) how they think we are doing.” 

Although article 5 passed, the question was non-binding, meaning the Boothbay selectmen will ultimately decide the format of next year’s town meeting. 

“I’m a firm believer in going with what the voters want,” said Selectman Dale Harmon. “If the voters want referendum, I think we should go with referendum.”