PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Groton Town Manager Addresses Electronic Voting Issue at the 2026 Fall Town Meeting
The Town would like to apologize to voters and explain the failure of the electronic voting system at the October 3, 2026 Fall Town Meeting. The issue was traced to one of the system’s two base stations, which had previously been loaned to another community and had unknowingly been reconfigured. Although the Town tested all voting keypads prior to Town Meeting, those tests were conducted using the other base station, so the configuration problem was not detected.
Once the problem was identified, the backup base station was installed and the electronic voting system operated properly. By that time, however, the Moderator appropriately decided to proceed with voting cards rather than further delay the meeting or create uncertainty for voters. As Town Manager, it is my responsibility to make sure the voting system is fully tested and ready before Town Meeting. While we believed we had taken the appropriate steps to prepare and test the equipment, our procedures did not identify this issue. I take responsibility for that, and I sincerely apologize to the voters for the inconvenience and frustration it caused.
It is important that voters have complete confidence in electronic voting. We have identified what went wrong and are changing our procedures to ensure that both base stations are independently tested and verified before every Town Meeting and that backup equipment is immediately accessible.
Electronic voting provides an accurate, efficient, and private way for residents to participate in Town Meeting. We remain confident in the technology, but we understand that we must earn and maintain the confidence of our voters. We will do everything necessary to make sure the system is fully prepared for our next Town Meeting.
Mark W. Haddad
Town Manager
