ORANGE, N.H. — Most New Hampshire towns in the Upper Valley will have Australian ballot voting for Town Meeting on Tuesday, March 9, but several are also making adjustments to their floor meetings while abiding by COVID-19 safety precautions.

The town of Orange, population 309, will hold ballot voting on Town Meeting Day, as usual, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Orange Town House. But it is moving its floor meeting on the following day at 7 p.m. to the Mascoma Valley Regional High School auditorium in the neighboring town of Canaan.

Orange Selectboard Chairwoman Dorothy Heinrichs said the Town House, which dates to 1895, is too small to handle the expected 40 to 60 attendees while observing social distancing.

“We didn’t know if we would exceed the number of people we could safely have according to restrictions, so we had to look for a larger location,” she said. Per state law, since the meeting is being held out of town, Orange will offer a ride via school bus for those who need it, and masks are required both on the bus and at the meeting.

Heinrichs said town officials rejected the idea of trying to do the floor meeting, which covers the budget, capital reserve funds and the like, online, because some residents wouldn’t be able to attend that way.

“Orange has a pretty elderly population, and we didn’t think we could do a Zoom meeting. It seemed wise to relocate,” she said.

Similarly, the town of Plainfield will elect officers by ballot voting on March 9 but has postponed its floor meetings for the town and school until Saturday, June 5, in a tent on a field at the Plainfield Elementary School.

“Outside always seems better,” said Plainfield Moderator Paul Franklin, who said town and school officials did not want to deal with the mechanics required for a virtual floor meeting.

“With Plainfield not having good broadband at times, we thought that might disenfranchise people,” he added.

In Enfield, officials will hold ballot voting on March 9 inside the Community Building because it is larger than Whitney Hall, the town’s traditional voting spot, and easier for seniors and people using wheelchairs to access.

But the floor meeting has been delayed until May 1 at Huse Park, where the town held a drive-in and outdoor meeting last year.

“It will give a fair chance for people to come out and be safe because the most important thing is to be inclusive and not to disenfranchise any voters,” Enfield Selectboard Chairwoman Kate Stewart said. “We can’t make good decisions together as a town unless we’re together, and we hear each other and we compromise.”

Among other Upper Valley towns:

Cornish has postponed its annual School District meeting until May 8 and its Town Meeting until June 8 in the school gym;

Grantham will elect town officers by ballot on March 9 then hold the business portion of Town Meeting on Saturday, May 15, at the Recreation Park.

On the school side, two virtual meetings will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 22 and March 1, with all-day voting to take place on March 9 at Town Hall.

Lyme plans to hold voting by official ballot on March 9 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Lyme School gym, with the business meetings for the town and school pushed back to May 15 under a tent on the Lyme Common.

New London delayed its annual Town Meeting voting until June 8, with the business meeting on June 9, though voting for the Kearsarge Regional School District will proceed on March 9.

Orford will elect officers by ballot on March 9, but the floor meeting will be held on May 22 near the bandstand.

News staff writer Tim Camerato contributed to this report. John P. Gregg can be reached at 603-727-3217 or jgregg@vnews.com.