Question 1 on the July 28 (or earlier, if you vote by mail) ballot asks Northfield voters whether they want to move from a three-person to a five-person Selectboard.

There are many excellent arguments for moving to a five-person Selectboard. In fact, from 2018 to 2019, the Town Governance Study Committee devoted several months of research and discussion to the issue. In the process, members reached out to eight towns in Massachusetts with five-person boards and sought input from residents through public sessions.

Their conclusion: Five Selectboard members would bring more perspectives and points of view to the table, especially for policymaking and priority-setting. Other points in favor of five Selectboard members are increasing the ability to conduct meetings and town business if one or two members are ill or away; better distribution of workload, and greater collaboration — a majority vote would require three instead of two.

Since the completion of this report, the coronavirus pandemic has added another factor to the equation. It becomes more likely that illness may sideline one or more members. In a three-person board, that could be a problem. In a five-person board, there is a better chance that a majority would be able to continue conducting the town’s business.

However, the elephant in the room is candidates — or, rather, the dearth of candidates. Over the last five years, three Selectboard seats have been uncontested.

Here is a recap of the number of Selectboard candidates over the past 10 years:

2010: Two candidates for one seat

2011: Two candidates for one seat

2012: Two candidates for one seat

2013: Three candidates for one seat

2014: Two candidates for one seat

2015: Uncontested

2016: Uncontested

2017: Uncontested

2018: Two candidates for one seat

2019: Two candidates for one seat

2020: No candidates so far for one open seat

Maybe the challenge of getting citizens to run for the Selectboard is part of the reason why three-member boards are, overwhelmingly, a small-town phenomenon. There are 105 towns in Massachusetts with a population of 5,000 or less — Northfield has a population hovering around 3,000 — and of those, 99 (94 percent) have three-member boards, including every other small town in Franklin County.

Population undoubtedly plays a role. Just as it takes a certain population to sustain small-town retail establishments, so too might it take a certain population to produce enough candidates for a five-person Selectboard.

In a recent letter to the editor, former Northfield Selectboard member Lois Stearns advised potential candidates to think about what they would bring to the position, which she characterized as a serious responsibility and not just participating in “politics.” Stearns outlined some of the resources available for learning about the position, such as state training for newly elected officials. Also available online are the Massachusetts General Laws, Town of Northfield bylaws, policies and procedures.

Former Selectboard members can attest to the time demands of the position.

If Question 1 passes, voters in 2021 will be choosing Selectboard members for two three-year terms and one two-year term. That’s three seats. In order for there to be a choice for each seat, there would need to be six candidates.

In making their decision on Question 1, Northfield voters will have to answer for themselves the question, Will Northfield have a half-dozen candidates to choose from next year? Will Northfield even have three candidates to fill three Selectboard seats?

Therein lies the rub.