Voter suppression in Amherst?

Here, in the People’s Republic of Amherst, we had a revolution a few years ago. Or was it a counter-revolution. The broad based Representative Town Meeting of 240 members was thought to be cumbersome and inefficient, with some even saying that it wasn’t representative at all. In the name of efficiency and effectiveness, the voters of Amherst agreed to a charter that called for a city council type government for the Town of Amherst. The legislative agenda for the town would now be set by 13 Councilors who would elect a Chairperson and hire the City Manager. 


The town has a hefty capital improvements program on the table. At the head of the list is a $36 million improvement to the beloved Jone Library. The argument goes that the library needs $15 million in improvements, so if you can stitch together a grant from the state and some contributions from those who can afford it, that leaves only about $14 million in bonds to be paid off by the town’s taxpayers. So what the heck, the town can get a big, improved library for the cost of needed renovations. 


Some folks in town thought that with a 10-2 vote in favor, the Town Council rushed into the proposal without completely thinking it through, so they circulated a petition to require a referendum on the issue by the town’s voters. The petitioners collected 1088 signatures, but 246 did not meet certification which left the petitioners 22 short of the the threshold of 5% of the registers voters. 


The Amherst Bulletin reports that rejected signatures of more than 50 voters have signed affidavits attesting that their signatures are for real - more than enough to require a referendum.  I can vouch that my signature on an electronic device at RMV in no way resembles my signature by pen. The hand of our elderly neighbor’s might not be as steady as it used to be, causing her signature to be rejected. The Board of Registrars has refused to act on the petitioner’s request - why? It was a perilous decision. So it’s off to court to ask for resolution.


Now, I love the Jones Library, even though it’s been closed by the pandemic for over a year. But I love democracy even more. I am worried that what we have here is a case of voter suppression. Is it that the powers that be - the Board of Registrars and the Council do not trust the judgment of the people? How is this different from current attempts at voter suppression in many states of the union? 


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