Plympton to Upgrade Voting System, Preserve Historic Ballot Box

Town approves purchase of electronic tabulators while planning educational use for 97-year-old mechanical device

PLYMPTON, MA - July 8 - Plympton’s nearly century-old mechanical ballot box is set to be retired as the town moves to adopt electronic voting tabulators, but officials are determined to preserve its historical significance through educational programs.

At Monday's Board of Selectmen meeting, Town Clerk Tara Shaw presented plans to purchase two new electronic voting machines, citing improved efficiency, accuracy and security compared to the current hand-counting method.

"There have been so many changes in election laws, including early voting. It's getting a lot trickier to manage the preparation of the ballots and the final tally of the ballots using the hand tally method," Shaw told the board.

The current mechanical ballot box dates back to 1927, with its lower portion from 1957. Shaw said maintenance has become increasingly difficult, with only one horologist in Carlisle able to service the antique device.

"I'm a little concerned about our maintenance of our ballot box. I've had to have it fixed twice, and the horologist who we have work on it lives in Carlisle, and I don't know how long he's going to be able to do the maintenance," she explained.

The new electronic tabulators will cost $13,664.25, with $12,879 available from an existing grant. Shaw said she only needs an additional $785.25 to cover the full purchase of two machines - one for early voting and another as a backup.

To preserve the historic ballot box's legacy, Shaw proposed repurposing it for educational use at local schools.

"I'm planning on bringing it to the school at the beginning of the school year if we end up being approved for the electronic tabulators, and having them be exposed to the election process by voting for something," she said.

Selectman Dana Smith supported the educational angle, saying: "I think having a second life down at the Dennett, too, is fantastic for the kids."

The board also discussed keeping the old ballot box on display at the town offices, potentially with explanatory signage about its history. Suggestions were made to hold a "retirement ceremony" for the device.

While approving the purchase of the new electronic tabulators, board members emphasized the importance of maintaining connections to the town's electoral traditions.

"The more we can stay connected with tradition and uniqueness and the more that we can be in education about elections, particularly in these kind of fraught times in that regard, the more we can be doing that, the better," Selectman Mark Russo said.

Shaw assured the board that many traditional elements of Plympton's voting process would remain intact, including having first-time voters ring a bell when casting their ballot.

The new electronic tabulators are expected to be in place for the November election. Meanwhile, plans will move forward to incorporate the retired ballot box into civics education programs at local schools.