LETTERS: Holding My Nose While Marking the Ballot

Dear Editor,

At the July 14th Board of Selectmen meeting, when a vote was called for during the debate to require Open Meeting Law training for all Committees and Boards, one member was recorded as abstaining. No explanation was given.

I will never understand why any elected representative at any level would consider voting present, or abstaining during a vote. I can understand recusing yourself due to a conflict of interest situation, but I cannot understand refusing to vote. It seems to me the one requirement of any elected position is to be present and to vote. This was not a complicated vote, require training and an acknowledgement of the training.

Those of us in the insured financial industry take numerous training classes every year, pass tests on the training and have our attendance recorded. Regulations require this process.

There has not been an election that I have voted for in the last 43 years that hasn't had what I considered to be such awful choices, and that I had to hold my nose and mark the ballot, but that is what participating in democracy requires. Refusing to vote should not be an option.

Sincerely,

Rule Loving

Townsend Road