Motions to “table”, “pass over”, or “indefinitely postpone” are all essentially the same thing. They are parliamentary maneuvers that prevent a vote from from being taken on the question under consideration.
The vote in Salem, NH illustrates that there is NO correlation between a vote to table and a vote on the actual article.
In Salem, as with most towns, a motion was made to table the article. The vote to table failed with only 2 more NO votes than YES votes. However, when the votes on the original article were counted, the result was 64%-36% in favor. The same people voting minutes latter produced a significantly different result.
People made these motions because they were afraid that the article would be approved if the citizens voted on it.
Now those who wanted to prevent people from voting on the definition of marriage want to claim that a successful motion to table is equivalent to defeating the article. This is simply not true and any honest, knowledgeable person will acknowledge that this is a decision to take no action on the question.
The motion to table is usually a non-debatable motion. In many towns people who did not want to hear from the voters made this motion immediately so there would not even be discussion on the article.
Amended Articles
Opponent of letting the citizens vote also want to count towns that amended the articles as a defeat of the article. Once again there is clear evidence that this is not the case.
In Barrington the article was amended at the Deliberative Session to delete everything except "to see". However, the town provided a clear explanation on the warrant informing voters of the original wording on the article as presented by the petitioner. The voters passed it!
2010 Town Meetings
In 133 towns, which is 60% of the all towns in New Hampshire, citizens were asked to vote on the following resolution.
Resolved: The citizens of New Hampshire should be allowed to vote on an amendment to the New Hampshire Constitution that defines “marriage”.
Below are the results of every town that voted on this resolution.
| Town Type |
YES | NO | % of Reg. Voters |
||
| SB2 | Allenstown | PASSED | 65.9% | 34.1% | 20.2% |
| SB2 | Alton | PASSED | 75.4% | 24.6% | 26.4% |
| SB2 | Amherst | PASSED | 51.7% | 48.3% | 32.9% |
| Andover | Failed | votes | not | counted | |
| Antrim | FAILED | 42.3% | 57.7% | 6.5% | |
| SB2 | Ashland | PASSED | 59.8% | 40.2% | 25.6% |
| SB2 | Auburn | PASSED | 72.0% | 28.0% | 15.2% |
| Barnstead | PASSED | 70.0% | 30.0% | 4.2% | |
| Bartlett | FAILED | 38.7% | 61.3% | 4.4% | |
| Bedford | PASSED | 72.8% | 27.2% | 23.9% | |
| SB2 | Belmont | PASSED | 65.9% | 34.1% | 15.2% |
| Benton | PASSED | 75.0% | 25.0% | 14.7% | |
| Bow | FAILED | 27.0% | 73.0% | 4.3% | |
| Bradford | PASSED | votes | not | counted | |
| Brentwood | Failed | votes | not | counted | |
| Campton | PASSED | 52.1% | 47.9% | 7.1% | |
| Center Harbor | PASSED | 52.9% | 47.1% | 13.6% | |
| SB2 | Charlestown | PASSED | 67.0% | 33.0% | 27.8% |
| Chesterfield | FAILED | 27.8% | 72.2% | 5.4% | |
| Chichester | FAILED | 46.4% | 53.6% | 5.8% | |
| Clarksville | PASSED | 77.5% | 22.5% | 16.9% | |
| Colebrook | FAILED | 45.2% | 54.8% | 6.8% | |
| SB2 | Conway | PASSED | 66.9% | 33.1% | 15.7% |
| Dalton | PASSED | 60.6% | 39.4% | 14.2% | |
| SB2 | Danbury | PASSED | 61.5% | 38.5% | 40.1% |
| SB2 | Danville | PASSED | 66.7% | 33.3% | 23.4% |
| Deering | FAILED | 28.7% | 71.3% | 6.8% | |
| Dummer | PASSED | 59.4% | 40.6% | 14.1% | |
| Dunbarton | PASSED | 57.0% | 43.0% | 6.3% | |
| SB2 | Epsom | PASSED | 62.3% | 37.7% | 20.3% |
| Francestown | FAILED | 30.5% | 69.5% | 11.1% | |
| SB2 | Fremont | PASSED | 70.1% | 29.9% | 29.2% |
| SB2 | Gilford | PASSED | 69.6% | 30.4% | 20.1% |
| Gilmanton | PASSED | 57.8% | 42.2% | 11.0% | |
| Gorham | PASSED | 58.7% | 41.3% | 3.7% | |
| Greenfield | Failed | votes | not | counted | |
| Greenland | FAILED | 47.9% | 52.1% | 2.5% | |
| SB2 | Hampstead | PASSED | 70.5% | 29.5% | 27.4% |
| SB2 | Hampton | PASSED | 59.6% | 40.4% | 20.6% |
| SB2 | Hampton Falls | PASSED | 66.7% | 33.3% | 27.4% |
| Hancock | FAILED | 22.7% | 77.3% | 10.8% | |
| Haverhill | PASSED | 52.6% | 47.4% | 3.5% | |
| Hill | PASSED | 79.7% | 20.3% | 8.5% | |
| Hillsborough | FAILED | 30.6% | 69.4% | 2.7% | |
| Jackson | Failed | votes | not | counted | |
| Jefferson | PASSED | 71.3% | 28.7% | 14.0% | |
| SB2 | Kingston | PASSED | 67.5% | 32.5% | 26.8% |
| Lancaster | PASSED | 54.7% | 45.3% | 7.6% | |
| Lee | FAILED | 20.3% | 79.7% | 4.4% | |
| Lisbon | FAILED | 40.3% | 59.7% | 6.0% | |
| SB2 | Litchfield | PASSED | 67.6% | 32.4% | 27.3% |
| SB2 | Littleton | PASSED | 59.3% | 40.7% | 37.1% |
| Londonderry | PASSED | 52.9% | 47.1% | 18.4% | |
| Lyndeborough | FAILED | 23.7% | 76.3% | 7.4% | |
| Marlborough | Failed | votes | not | counted | |
| Meredith | FAILED | 30.2% | 69.8% | 3.4% | |
| SB2 | Merrimack | PASSED | 65.1% | 34.9% | 14.6% |
| Milan | PASSED | 83.3% | 16.7% | 6.5% | |
| SB2 | Milford | PASSED | 65.0% | 35.0% | 18.1% |
| SB2 | Milton | PASSED | 57.5% | 42.5% | 21.0% |
| Monroe | Failed | votes | not | counted | |
| Mont Vernon | PASSED | 54.6% | 45.4% | 7.9% | |
| Moultonborough | FAILED | 32.3% | 67.7% | 5.3% | |
| SB2 | New Boston | PASSED | 53.6% | 46.4% | 30.9% |
| New Durham | FAILED | 39.2% | 60.8% | 6.5% | |
| SB2 | New Ipswich | PASSED | 67.9% | 32.1% | 35.4% |
| New London | Failed | votes | not | counted | |
| SB2 | Newton | PASSED | 68.5% | 31.5% | 33.5% |
| Northumberland | FAILED | 35.4% | 64.6% | 12.0% | |
| Ossipee | FAILED | 44.8% | 55.2% | 3.2% | |
| SB2 | Pelham | PASSED | 59.6% | 40.4% | 50.1% |
| Pembroke | FAILED | 43.2% | 56.8% | 2.6% | |
| Pittsburg | PASSED | 94.1% | 5.9% | 9.6% | |
| Pittsfield | PASSED | 68.7% | 31.3% | 4.1% | |
| SB2 | Plaistow | PASSED | 64.9% | 35.1% | 15.7% |
| Richmond | PASSED | 62.8% | 37.2% | 11.2% | |
| Rumney | FAILED | 49.4% | 50.6% | 7.4% | |
| Salem | PASSED | 63.9% | 36.1% | 0.6% | |
| Salisbury | FAILED | 47.4% | 52.6% | 5.4% | |
| SB2 | Sandown | PASSED | 56.9% | 43.1% | 27.5% |
| SB2 | Seabrook | PASSED | 57.0% | 43.0% | 17.9% |
| Sharon | Failed | votes | not | counted | |
| Shelburne | FAILED | 31.4% | 68.6% | 15.9% | |
| Stark | PASSED | 100.0% | 0.0% | 9.7% | |
| Stewartstown | PASSED | 87.2% | 12.8% | 6.1% | |
| SB2 | Swanzey | PASSED | 55.4% | 44.6% | 19.5% |
| Thornton | Passed | votes | not | counted | |
| SB2 | Wakefield | PASSED | 67.6% | 32.4% | 20.7% |
| Walpole | FAILED | votes | not | counted | |
| Washington | FAILED | 43.9% | 56.1% | 12.6% | |
| SB2 | Weare | PASSED | 60.3% | 39.7% | 31.4% |
| Whitefield | PASSED | 60.5% | 39.5% | 6.1% | |
| SB2 | Windham | PASSED | 63.2% | 36.8% | 22.7% |
| Windsor | Passed | votes | not | counted |
