What is Town Meeting?
The term "Town Meeting" actually refers to two different things. First, the Town Meeting is a gathering of the eligible voters of the Town for the purpose of voting on the Town Meeting Warrant. The "Town Meeting" is the legislative body of the town much like the state legislature and the United States Congress at their respective levels of government. Second, Town Meeting refers to that group of eligible voters. Carver has an open town meeting form of government, the purest form of democratic government, where every eligible voter in town has the right to speak and vote on the budget and bylaws and participate in any other action required of the legislative branch of government.

Town Meeting is not the same as a meeting of the Board of Selectmen or of any other board, commission, or committee at the Town Hall. A Town Meeting can be either an Annual Town Meeting or a Special Town Meeting. An Annual Town Meeting must be held once yearly between February 1st and June 30th. Carver has an Annual Town Meeting in the spring of each year and at least one Special Town Meeting.

See "Citizen Guide to Town Meetings".