[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Meeting of the Town of Hopkinton 3-6-1944 by Art. 1. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 4-11-1977 ATM by Art. 35; 5-1-2017 ATM by Art. 43]
The Select Board shall cause an attested copy of the warrant to be posted by the Constable of the Town or some other person at least eight (8) days before the time set for the Annual Town Meeting, and at least fourteen (14) days before the time set for a Special Town Meeting, in the following locations within the Town: (1) Town Hall, (2) all post offices, (3) the public library, (4) the senior center, and (5) at least one public safety building.
[Amended 3-4-1974 ATM by Art. 3; 4-14-1992 ATM by Art. 38; 5-3-2005 STM by Art. 3; 5-5-2025 ATM by Art. 33]
The Annual Town Meeting of the Town of Hopkinton shall be held on the first Saturday in May of each year, with the starting time to be set between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. by the Select Board, and the annual Town elections for the purpose of election by ballot of Town officers and voting on any questions required by law to be placed upon the official ballot shall be held on the third Monday in May at an adjournment of the Annual Town Meeting at which the polls shall be open during such hours between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. as the Select Board shall legally determine.
[Amended 3-4-1974 ATM by Art. 3; 5-6-1998 ATM by Art. 24]
All business of the Annual Meeting, except the election of officers and the determination of such matters as are required to be determined by ballot fixed for the third Monday in May as provided, shall be considered at the meeting of the first Monday of May.
Unless otherwise ordered by the Moderator, or by a vote of the Meeting, no person whose name is not on the list of registered voters shall be admitted to the hall where a Town Meeting is being held. This provision shall be enforced by use of the checklist, and the Moderator shall determine the bounds of the hall.
All Town officers not required by law to be chosen by ballot shall be elected by a voice vote, unless the meeting at which they are to be elected determines otherwise.
All articles in the Town Warrant shall be taken up in the order of their arrangement unless otherwise decided by a majority vote.
When a report of a committee is placed in the hands of the Moderator, it shall be deemed to be properly before the Meeting for action thereon, and a vote to accept the same shall discharge the committee but shall not be equivalent to a vote to carry out the recommendations of the report in the absence of a vote to adopt the report.
A motion to reconsider shall not be entertained unless made at the close of the consideration of the article under which it is passed, and no motion to reconsider action of a former day's sitting shall be made at any adjournment. This section may be suspended by a vote of 2/3 of those present and voting.
[Amended 5-4-1998 ATM by Art. 20]
Any motion which calls for the appropriation of less than $1,000 shall be taken by a rising vote if so requested by three voters, and every motion calling for an appropriation of $1,000 and over shall be taken by a rising vote, except in the case where the vote of the Town Meeting is a unanimous vote or in the case where, in the opinion of the Town Moderator, the vote constitutes a clear majority vote or a clear 2/3 vote, whichever may be required, in which event the declaration of the Town Moderator shall control, subject to the right of seven voters to question such vote, as provided in MGL c. 39, § 15.
No person shall speak for more than 10 minutes at any one time without being again recognized by the Moderator, and no person shall speak more than twice upon any question without first obtaining leave of the meeting, except to correct an error.
[Amended 5-7-2001 ATM by Art. 44]
A. 
When a motion is under debate, the Moderator may accept motions, including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) 
To adjourn;
(2) 
To end debate;
(3) 
To postpone to a time certain;
(4) 
To amend;
(5) 
To divide the question;
(6) 
To withdraw.
B. 
These motions shall have precedence in the order enumerated above. The first three motions shall be decided without debate.
[Amended 5-6-1996 ATM by Art. 32; 5-1-2017 ATM by Art. 44]
The presence of a number of voters equal to 1% of the number of registered voters of the Town, as of December 31 of the most recent year ending in a 2 or 7, as determined by the Town Clerk, shall be required to constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business at any Town Meeting.