[Adopted 12-18-1952 as Art. 3 of the 1952 General Bylaws]
A. 
Every Town Meeting for the election of officers by official ballot shall promptly at the appointed time for such meeting be called to order by the proper presiding officer. In the absence of such officer the Town Clerk shall call the meeting to order and shall preside until the arrival of such officer or the election of a temporary presiding officer.
[Amended 6-22-2020 by Art. 11]
B. 
Immediately after the calling of the meeting to order by the proper presiding officer, the warrant for the Town Meeting and the return of the person who served the same shall first be read by the Town Clerk, unless the meeting votes that the reading of the articles in the warrant be dispensed with and immediately thereafter the polls shall be declared open for voting.
A. 
Every Town Meeting for the transaction of municipal business, other than the election of Town officers by official ballot, shall promptly at the appointed time or as soon thereafter as 51 registered voters are in attendance be called to order by the Moderator. In the absence of the Moderator, such meeting shall be called to order by the Town Clerk who shall preside until a temporary Moderator is chosen who shall act during the absence of the Moderator.
B. 
Immediately after calling the meeting to order by the Moderator, the warrant for the Town Meeting and the return of the person who served the same shall first be read by the Town Clerk, unless the meeting votes that the reading of the articles in the warrant be dispensed with.
C. 
Unless otherwise ordered by the Moderator or by vote of the meeting, no person whose name is not on the list of registered voters shall be admitted to the hall where the meeting is being held; this provision shall be enforced with the use of the checklist, and the Moderator shall determine the bounds of the hall.
D. 
Immediately after the calling of the meeting to order, unless otherwise ordered by the Moderator or by vote of the meeting, all persons shall be seated with heads uncovered. No person shall remain standing, except when he addresses the Moderator. While the meeting is in session, no one shall converse or otherwise distract the attention of himself or others from the business under consideration.
E. 
The Moderator shall preserve order and decorum. He may speak on points of order in preference to other voters and he shall decide all questions subject to an appeal as hereafter provided in § 95-5G. Every question of order with the decision thereon shall be entered by the Clerk in the records of the meeting.
F. 
The Moderator may appoint a voter to perform the duties of the Moderator while he addresses the meeting or in case he is called away from the meeting.
G. 
On matters requiring a two-thirds vote by statute a count need not be taken unless the vote so declared is immediately questioned by seven or more voters as provided in MGL c. 39, § 15.
[Amended 3-6-1971; 5-19-1997]
H. 
There shall be a quorum requirement of 51 voters for the transaction of business at any Town Meeting.
[Amended 6-17-1996]
I. 
Such elective Town officers as are not required by law to be chosen by ballot shall be elected by voice vote unless the meeting at which they are chosen determines otherwise.
J. 
The procedure and conduct of the business meeting of the Town not otherwise herein provided for shall be governed by the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, so far as they are applicable and are not inconsistent with bylaws of the Town.
[Amended 1973]
[Added 5-18-1998; amended 5-23-2011 by Art. 14]
A vote upon any question at a Town Meeting may be required to be taken by secret ballot either by order of the Moderator or by the request of 10 or more voters. Once a secret ballot has been so ordered by the Moderator, any voter not already checked off the voting list by the Registrars shall not be checked off the voting register nor be permitted to participate in the meeting until the result of the secret ballot and the action on the motion has been declared by the Moderator.
[Amended 5-24-2011; 5-21-2012 by Art. 20]
A. 
Fifty-foot rule. In any building in which a Town Meeting is held, campaign postings, exhibitions, and circulation or distribution of materials, including posters, stickers, cards, handbills, placards, pictures or circulars, shall not be allowed inside the building or within 50 feet of the main building entrance.
[Amended 6-22-2020 by Art. 11]
B. 
No person shall be allowed to collect signatures upon petitions, referendum petitions or nomination papers inside the building or within 50 feet from the building entrance door where the meeting is held.
C. 
Whoever posts, exhibits, circulates or distributes any poster, card, handbill, placard, picture or circular in violation of any provision of this section may be penalized by a noncriminal disposition pursuant to MGL c. 40, § 21D, and is subject to Chapter 1, Article I, of the Dudley Town Bylaws. The fine for violation of this bylaw shall be $20 for each offense.
[Amended 6-22-2020 by Art. 11]