The plaintiff's contention misses the mark, however, because the voters in such communities or school districts are not similarly situated. At a fundamental level, the manner in which citizens participate in their government in official ballot communities and town meeting communities differs significantly. Registered voters in a town meeting community or school district must attend the town or district meeting to vote on warrant issues. Inconvenience or hardship which prevents citizens from attending the meeting affects their right to vote. The meeting provides a forum for public discussion and debate on the various warrant issues and is the focal point for voter education.
Public discourse is dependant upon the attendees.
The dynamics of the meeting and the ideas and comments discussed may vary widely from issue to issue. Registered voters in an official ballot community or school district, on the other hand, are not required to vote at a meeting. Their ability to vote by secret ballot upon various issues is far less encumbered by personal inconvenience or hardship. Voters may vote at any time during the designated voting day, usually at a nearby polling place. Those not able to get to the polls may vote by absentee ballot and actual voting is shielded from the cauldron of public opinion.