February 20, 2026: Annual Town Meeting is around the corner. It's a day wrapped in traditions, stories, civic engagement, potluck lunches, and discussions about dollars and cents. But it is also an annual gathering that raises questions about how we ensure access, practice self-governance, build community, and the health of our local democracy.

Writer and educator, Susan Clark, has studied town-meeting styles of government across New England and in Europe. She returns to the show to discuss why Annual Town Meeting still matters, brain research, and Brattleboro's Representative Town Meeting. 

Clark is co-author of "Slow Democracy" with Woden Teachout, and "All Those In Favor," with University of Vermont Professor Frank Bryan. Both books are available for free download.

Slow Democracy: http://slowdemocracy.org/

All Those In Favor: https://vtinstituteforgovt.weebly.com/

Annual Town Meeting from the Vermont Secretary of State: https://sos.vermont.gov/elections/election-info-resources/town-meeting-local-elections/

Voice LIVE: Who Governs Brattleboro and How panel on Brattleboro's Representative Town Meeting (voters will consider doing away with the meeting structure): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ct8p0xb2Yk

Theme music by Red Heart the Ticker: http://rhtt.net/