There will be nine statewide ballot questions on this November’s voting ballot—that’s a lot!
If you would like to know more about the ballot questions, JP Progressives is hosting an event with qualified guests to talk about four of the questions (specifically Questions 1, 3, 4, and 5) on Sept. 24.
The location of the event will be provided once you RSVP at tinyurl.com/JPPBallotQuestions.
The following info is provided by the Secretary of State’s office.
Question 1: Expanding the public records law
Do you approve of a law summarized below, on which no vote was taken by the Senate or the House of Representatives before May 6, 2026?
Summary
This proposed law would make most records held by the Legislature and the Office of the Governor public records under the Massachusetts Public Records Law. This proposed law would exempt documents related to the development of public policy and communications between legislators and their constituents, if those communications are reasonably related to a constituent’s request for assistance in obtaining government-provided benefits or services or interacting with a government agency.
A YES VOTE would make most records held by the Legislature and the Office of the Governor public records under the Massachusetts Public Records Law.
A NO VOTE would make no change to the Massachusetts Public Records Law.
Question 3: All Party Primaries
Do you approve of a law summarized below, on which no vote was taken by the Senate or the House of Representatives before May 6, 2026?
Summary
This proposed law would eliminate political party primaries for state elections and instead establish a system where there would be a single, all-party primary in which all candidates, regardless of their party affiliation, would be listed on one ballot, and voters could vote for any candidate on the ballot. The two candidates receiving the most votes in the primary would advance to the general election ballot.
This proposed law would require candidates for governor and lieutenant governor to run and be listed jointly on the ballot in the primary.
This proposed law would provide political party status to any group whose candidates for any statewide office received at least 3% of the ballots cast in the state primary.
A YES VOTE would eliminate separate party primaries for state elections and require a single primary in which all candidates appear on one ballot, voters could vote for any candidate, and the top two candidates would advance to the general election.
A NO VOTE would make no change to the laws governing primary elections.
Question 4: Same Day Voter Registration
Do you approve of a law summarized below, on which no vote was taken by the Senate or the House of Representatives before May 6, 2026?
Summary
This proposed law would permit eligible individuals to register to vote or update their voter registration address on Election Day.
An individual who is eligible to vote could register to vote on Election Day by going to the polling place in the precinct where they live during voting hours and presenting proof of residency and signing a written oath. Proof of residency could be a valid photo identification, or documentation showing the individual’s name and the address where the individual resides, such as a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, residential lease, wireless telephone statement, paycheck, current student fee statement or other document from a post-secondary school, or another government document or correspondence. The written oath would require the individual to certify that they are a citizen of the United States, are at least 18 years old, are not legally prohibited from voting, and have not and will not vote in the same election at another location. The oath would require the individual to acknowledge that providing false information is a felony punishable by not more than 5 years imprisonment or a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.
If an individual did not present proof of residency, they would be allowed to cast a provisional ballot, which would be counted only if the individual returned to provide the required information before the close of polls for a municipal election; within two days after a state primary; or within six days after a state election.
Individuals who register to vote on Election Day would be registered to vote in future elections as well as in the election taking place that day.
Individuals who are already registered to vote would not be able to change their political party affiliation on Election Day.
The proposed law would take effect on January 1, 2028.
A YES VOTE would permit eligible citizens to register to vote or to update their voter registration address at their polling place on Election Day.
A NO VOTE would make no change to the laws governing voter registration.
Question 5: Capping Tax Revenue (a.k.a. 62F)
Do you approve of a law summarized below, on which no vote was taken by the Senate or the House of Representatives before May 6, 2026?
Summary
This proposed law would change the limit on how much revenue the state can collect in a given year. The proposal would limit state revenue in a given year to the net amount of state revenue from the year before, increased by a rate equal to the average growth of wages and salaries in Massachusetts over the most recent three years. If revenue collected by the state in a given year exceeds the limit, the excess amount would be refunded to taxpayers the following year. The proposed law would include all revenue from the surtax on incomes over $1 million when calculating the revenue limit and when determining whether state revenue exceeds the limit.
The provisions of the proposed law would all be effective as of July 1, 2027.
The proposed law states that, if any of its parts were declared invalid, the other parts would stay in effect.
A YES VOTE would change the limit on state revenue collection, tying it to prior year collections plus average wage and salary growth, and provide for a rebate of revenue exceeding that limit.
A NO VOTE would make no change in the law relative to state revenue collection.
