For the second consecutive year, the Town of Framingham, Massachusetts has stepped into the future of voting processes for representative town meetings. The town has adopted electronic voting using OTI’s OptionFinder G3 wireless keypads. So far the system has been used to vote on a number of town issues, including the approval of the new $8.6 million Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Branch Library.
The subject of adopting electronic voting was considered in the town of Framingham for several years. In 2010, selectmen were torn on the subject of electronic voting, wondering if the innovation was necessary or cost-effective. “I’m wary of this,” was the initial response of Selectman Jason Smith, and with good reason. Innovative technology is often hit-or-miss.
Now, after three years and a flurry of technical advances, Framingham has embraced the idea of electronic voting. April 2012 marked the first Framingham Town Meeting that implemented electronic voting using Option Technologies International's wireless keypads, and their use has continued. The technology was adopted for the purpose of achieving faster tabulation, better accuracy, and the public display of votes for representative accountability.
The vote in May for the proposal of the new library was especially anticipated, as the current Framingham library is in much need of expansion. The new library will be triple the size of the current one, and will offer more private study space and access to internet-connected computers for the public. Results of the vote were instantly tabulated in PowerPoint using OptionPower software.
Onlookers in attendance of the meeting included current library staff and town members eager to hear the result of the vote, which passed with a sweeping majority of 149 to 1. Sherry Baker, a staff member at the Branch library, expressed high approval for OTI’s interactive response system. “We all thought it was great,” she says, “because we could see immediately that they were voting. It was right up on the screen. It was great.”
Reference librarian Evelyn Berezin was also pleased to witness the results of the vote. “I feel very excited,” she told the MetroWest Daily News, “very happy for all of the Framingham residents. It bodes very well for the future for people of all ages in town.”
OTI provided on-request tech support for the meeting, which implemented software tailored to the needs of the representative town meeting structure. The process was smooth, and the Framingham town council has approved the use of OptionFinder wireless keypads for the upcoming fall. The new Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Branch Library is expected to be completed next year.