ENFIELD — Three towns on the New Hampshire side of the Upper Valley are asking voters to reconsider how or when they hold votes on municipal issues this year.

For the third time since 2022, Enfield will consider switching from a traditional Town Meeting format to an Australian ballot style of governance known as SB2.

The same question will be before Haverhill voters again this year.

Meanwhile, Lyme voters will consider moving their town meeting to a different day.

In Enfield, the previous two attempts — in 2022 and 2024 — fell short of the 60% threshold to switch from a traditional floor meeting to deciding all warrant articles by Australian ballot. Last year’s effort failed by 13 votes.

“I’m optimistic this year,” Debra Ford, who is the lead petitioner, said in a phone interview. “I think with any warrant articles, it really takes three years to educate the public about what you’re trying to do.”

The vote will take place during Enfield’s Town Meeting on Saturday, March 15, which begins at 9 a.m. at Enfield Village School.

Ballot voting for town officers and zoning amendments will take place via Australian ballot on Tuesday, March 11, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Enfield Community Building.

Currently, Enfield residents elect town officers and decide on zoning ordinance changes via Australian ballot.

Voters conduct all other town business — including voting on the general fund budget and any bond votes — during the floor portion of Town Meeting.

If they switch to SB2, residents would have the opportunity to weigh in and make changes to proposed warrant articles during a deliberative session before heading to the polls.

If the town budget fails, a default budget created by town officials would go into place.

The idea gained more momentum after 2022, Ford said, when voters passed two bond votes: One for $5.8 million to renovate Whitney Hall, home of the town offices and library, and another for $7.26 million to build a new public safety facility that combines police, fire and EMS departments.

“I think people realized they did not get to vote for either of those if they weren’t at Town Meeting,” Ford said. “I think people are realizing if they are a taxpayer they should have the right to vote on all warrant articles.”

During a public hearing on Feb. 18, Selectboard members briefly discussed Enfield’s history of trying SB2 before returning to the traditional Town Meeting format.

Enfield adopted SB2 in 1996 and — after a years-long effort by residents — voted to go back to floor Town Meetings in 2001. Since 2002, Enfield has maintained the traditional format.

Selectboard member Kate Plumley Stewart mentioned that since that time, information has been more widely available in part because of the internet.

“My feeling is anytime more people can vote is what you ought to be doing,” resident Dan Kiley said during the public hearing.

Meanwhile, Haverhill — which narrowly voted against switching to a SB2 style of governance last year — will vote again on the proposed change during its floor town meeting Saturday, March 15, which takes place immediately after the annual School Meeting, which begins at 9 a.m. at Haverhill Cooperative Middle School.

Selectboard chairman R.J. O’Shana — who also serves as the town’s interim town administrator — declined to comment when reached by email.

Meanwhile, Lyme voters will consider an article that would allow the Selectboard to change which day the floor portion of Town Meeting is held. 

Currently, Town Meeting is held in the morning on the second Tuesday of the month.

This year’s is scheduled for Tuesday, March 11, while the School Meeting typically takes place the Thursday prior.

This year’s is Thursday, March 6, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Lyme School. Town Meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 11 at 9 a.m. at the same location; ballot voting will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Lyme Town Moderator Mark Schiffman said that town officials have had conversations about holding the school and town floor meetings on the same day.

“That would require that level of flexibility for the Selectboard to set the date,” Shiffman said in a phone interview. “Our goal is to make sure the meetings are accessible to as many people as possible and convenient to the greatest extent we can make it convenient.”

He added that suggesting a change to SB2 has not been discussed.

Lyme voters will have an opportunity to weigh in on the change during Australian ballot voting on Tuesday. A simple majority is needed to make the change, Lyme Town Administrator Dina Cutting said, pointing to RSA 39:1 Meetings, When Held and 39:2-a Optional Provisions.

“The board and our moderator are always trying to find ways to get a better time that more people are going to show up, to try to increase the numbers,” Cutting said in a phone interview. “Having this flexibility was talked about.”

Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.

CORRECTION: Lyme voters will consider an article that would allow the Selectboard to change which day the floor portion of Town Meeting is held on Tuesday by Australian ballot from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. A previous version of this story incorrectly described how Lyme residents will weigh in on the matter.