LEVERETT, Mass. (AP) – For the past 230 years this small town in western Massachusetts has been electing its town officials the old-fashioned way. But now some say it’s time for a change.

The rural community of 1,600 is the only town left in the state that nominates its town officials from the floor at its annual spring town meeting and then moves right on to a vote.

The election is by voice vote if there is no contest. A contested election is decided by paper ballot with voters filling out their ballots at a cafeteria table in the elementary school gymnasium.

“It’s unique. It’s often fun. But lately, it’s become dicey,” Town Clerk Lisa Stratford told The Recorder of Greenfield. “We have had a couple of years of contentious elections.”

It also makes no provision for absentee ballots. “Who gets elected depends on who shows up,” she said.

Fenna Lee Bonsignore, who chairs the Board of Selectmen, said officials haven’t yet decided whether to ask voters at the fall town meeting to require nominating petitions, campaign finance reports and all the other trappings of an extended modern political campaign.

Several years ago, voters soundly defeated an attempt to change the system, she said. But people have complained lately that they have little opportunity to learn candidates positions on the issues.

The town holds a candidates night a week before the annual meeting, but turnout has been sparse, she said.

Town Moderator Gary Gruber said he sees no need for a change.

“If somebody wants to campaign, they can,” he said.

Gruber said he ran successfully for selectman twice “and my only campaign costs were two 81/2- by 11-inch sheets of paper.”

“If you spend two consecutive Saturdays at the transfer station, you can meet everyone in town,” he said.

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On the Net: Town of Leverett http://townhall.leverett.ma.us

AP-ES-07-19-04 1427EDT