Massachusetts 2026 Ballot Initiatives

Understanding the Midterm Ballot Initiatives for the 2026 Massachusetts General Election

With the election this Tuesday, November 3rd, many Massachusetts voters have already decided on who they will vote for to fill legislative and executive seats across our government. However, elections also frequently provide an opportunity for the voting public to express their views directly on specific questions of policy, forcing the state government to take action. Often these questions are not even on the minds of voters until they see them on their ballots, so MIRA would like to prepare MA voters for the 9 ballot questions that will appear this year. 

Question 1: Public Records Law. A Yes vote would expand the state’s public records law to include most records held by the Legislature and Office of the Governor (exceptions would include records related to the development of public policy or communications with constituents). 

Question 2: CPCS Collective Bargaining. A Yes vote would allow employees of the Committee for Public Council Services (CPCS) to form a union in order to collectively bargain with their employer. CPCS is the state agency that provides public defenders and also partners with MIRA on the MACI program. 

Question 3: Primary Elections. A Yes vote would eliminate partisan primaries, and instead include all candidates on a single ballot regardless of party affiliation. The two candidates who receive the most votes in a primary would then face each other in the general election, even if they come from the same party. 

Question 4: Election Day Registration. A Yes vote would allow Massachusetts voters to register the day of the election at their polling place. Potential voters would need to provide proof of residency and sign a written oath in order to register. 

Question 5: State Revenues. A Yes vote would limit the amount of revenue that the state can collect in any given year. State revenues would be capped at the previous year’s revenue plus an adjustment to account for average wage and salary growth over the previous three years. Any excess revenue collected would be refunded to taxpayers the following year. 

Question 6: Nature for All Fund. A Yes vote would establish the Nature for All Fund, which would receive state taxes paid for the sale and use of sporting equipment, recreational vehicles, and golf courses. The Fund would be available to the Executive Office for Energy and Environment to spend on natural resource conservation, including drinking water, rivers, lakes, coasts, forests, and natural resources of indigenous cultural heritage among other issues. 

Question 7: Single-Family Homes. A Yes vote would allow for the construction of single-family homes in residentially zoned areas on lots of at least 5,000 sq ft. 

Question 8: Marijuana Repeal. A Yes vote would repeal the 2017 law that legalized, regulated, and taxed the retail sale of adult recreational marijuana in Massachusetts and lower the limit of what residents can legally possess. 

Question 9: Firearms. A Yes vote would make a number of laws regarding firearms more strict, including expanding who can request a court to issue an Extreme Risk Protection Order (which would require an individual to relinquish their firearms if they are a danger to themselves or others), adding new limits to licensing requirements, and adding new penalties for possessing, creating, or transferring untraceable firearms. 

If you are registered to vote in Massachusetts but do not know your polling location, you can look it up here.

Find ballot questions in multiple languages from the City of Boston here

Quick links and more resources here