Requirements for Town Meeting Handouts

(November 2022)

To ensure fairness, accuracy, and access of information to all Town Meeting voters, ALL Town Meeting Handouts must be prepared according to these requirements and approved by the Moderator.

Motions Exceeding 100 Words:

• Motions and amendments exceeding 100 words must be produced as a Handout and delivered to Town Meeting in accordance with these Requirements.

Handout Preparation:

• All materials prepared by a Town Board/Committee or Town Department must include:
  • Article title and number
  • Name of authoring Town Board/Committee or Town Department
  • Date of document creation
• All materials prepared by citizen petitioners or other Concord voters must include:
  • Article title and number
  • Name and address of authoring citizen(s)
  • Date of document creation

Submission of Handouts for Approval:

All Handouts must be submitted for approval by the Moderator by email to TMSubmissions@concordma.gov at least seven (7) days prior to the start of Town Meeting. The Moderator will reply to submitters by email with approval or requested revisions. Handouts on which revisions are requested must be revised and resubmitted for final approval.

Photocopying and Delivery of Handouts:

• All handouts must be photocopied on white paper only and double-sided if exceeding one page.
• All handouts must be produced in a quantity sufficient to provide each voter with a copy. Consult the Town Clerk’s Office, the Town Manager’s Office, or the Moderator for the appropriate quantity. If the number of copies is insufficient to provide one to all voters, the Select Board may move that action on an article be postponed until sufficient copies are made available.
• All handouts must on the tables in the High School cafeteria one hour before the start of the session during which the subject article is expected to be discussed. Consult the Moderator for information as to the session in which the article is expected to be taken up.
• Approved handouts may be delivered directly to the tables in the High School cafeteria on the day when the article is expected to be discussed.
• Approved handouts also may be delivered to the Town Manager’s Office before noon on the day when the article is expected to be discussed for timely transport to the High School cafeteria tables by Town staff.

Removal and Disposal of Handouts:

• Approved Town Meeting-related documents ONLY may be placed on the information tables inside the Meeting venue. Items not related to Town Meeting will be removed and recycled.
• Handouts pertaining to articles on which the Meeting has acted will be removed and recycled at the end of each night of Town Meeting.

Requirements for Town Meeting Handouts