Pandemic Perspectives - Madbury Town Clerk
The information contained in this article is not intended as legal advice and may no longer be accurate due to changes in the law. Consult NHMA's legal services or your municipal attorney.
The Madbury Town Clerkâs office saw a significant increase in online transactions due to the virus in 2020. The ability to process vehicle renewals, tax payments, and dog licenses from home was a welcome convenience to our residents during this time. For those who needed to physically visit the town hall, the offices remained open for business. Throughout the spring and summer we were able to assist residents through a window located near the front entry.
The 2020 state and general elections were run successfully amid the pandemic with no known spreading of the virus in Madbury. Many safety precautions were in place including the use of a new ballot counting machine. Prior to the pandemic, Madbury had always been a hand count town. The decision was made to purchase a state-approved ballot counting ma-chine in an effort to reduce the number of residents needed to count ballots. With our largest voter turnout ever recorded at the November election, we were very thankful to have the ma-chine. Many residents opted to vote absentee and our office worked overtime to ensure those ballots were processed in a timely manner.
It is difficult to comprehend why city and town clerks were not acknowledged as essential employees in New Hampshire. Especially in small towns like Madbury, where we never stopped servicing residents and had far more interaction with the public than our emergency personnel peers.