Swampscott will soon participate in one of the oldest forms of democracy, with the Town Meetings scheduled for May 19 and 20.

“The Town Meeting is the oldest form of direct, participatory democracy still in use today,” said Town Moderator Michael McClung.

Town Meetings have been in existence for over 300 years, according to Secretary of the Commonwealth William Francis Galvin. The meetings allow residents in towns to gather and vote as a legislative body. They decide salaries for elected officials, allocate funding and vote on local statutes, or bylaws. 

Only towns in Massachusetts have Town Meetings. Cities, instead, are governed by a city council or a board of aldermen.

The distinction between a town and a city lies in how each municipality chose to set up its form of government. One key factor is size, as towns with less than 12,000 residents cannot adopt a city form of government. 

However, not all towns have Town Meetings. A few in Massachusetts are governed by town councils. 

Town Meetings can either be open – where all the residents vote on all matters – or representative, with elected members from each precinct serving in a legislative body. Towns with fewer than 6,000 residents are required to hold open Town Meetings. 

Swampscott is one of about 30 Massachusetts communities with a representative Town Meeting, according to McClung.

In Swampscott, 18 members are elected annually from each of the six precincts. They each serve for three years at a time, making for a total of 324 members at the Town Meeting. Members are nonpartisan.

“I think that makes us the third largest and each member represents the second fewest number of residents,” McClung said. “It’s a much, much different dynamic.”

The moderator – McClung, who has served in the role in Swampscott for 10 years – announces the results of all voiced votes. 

“My job is just to make sure the business of the town gets taken care of, and everyone has a chance to have their say within reason,” McClung said. 

McClung takes the voted-in members through articles, which relate to the town’s functions and different departments. 

Although only elected members vote, any member of the public may attend a Town Meeting.

Swampscott’s Town Meeting will be held on Monday, May 19 and Tuesday, May 20 at the High School, at 200 Essex St. at 7 p.m. If additional days are needed, McClung has reserved the same location for Wednesday, May 21 and Monday, June 2.

This year’s Town Meeting will include votes on the fiscal year 2026 budget, amended zoning laws for floodplain overlay and accessory dwelling units as well as to establish a fall Town Meeting.