Massachusetts · November 3, 2026 general election
Statewide ballot measures: what your vote means
For each measure: the official ballot title, what a YES vote and a NO vote would do, and what would change, in plain language from official sources. SaveYourState does not take positions on ballot measures.
9 statewide measures are on the ballot. 2 have a “Heads up” note because a YES vote repeals, undoes, or removes something. Official sources checked October 21, 2026.
Question 1 · Law proposed by initiative petition
Expanding the Public Records Law
A YES vote means:
Most records held by the Legislature and the Office of the Governor would become public records under the Massachusetts Public Records Law, starting January 1, 2027.
A NO vote means:
The Massachusetts Public Records Law would not change.
Question 2 · Law proposed by initiative petition
Collective Bargaining for CPCS Employees
A YES vote means:
Employees of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), the state’s public defender agency, could form a union and bargain collectively with their employer.
A NO vote means:
The law governing labor relations for CPCS employees would not change.
Question 3 · Law proposed by initiative petition
State Primary Elections
Heads up: voting YES on this measure removes the current system of separate party primaries for state elections.
A YES vote means:
Separate party primaries for state elections would end and be replaced by one primary listing all candidates, where voters could choose any candidate and the top two would advance to the general election.
A NO vote means:
The laws governing primary elections would not change.
Question 4 · Law proposed by initiative petition
Election Day Registration
A YES vote means:
Eligible citizens could register to vote, or update their registration address, at their polling place on Election Day, starting January 1, 2028.
A NO vote means:
The laws governing voter registration would not change.
Question 5 · Law proposed by initiative petition
State Revenue Limit & Rebate
A YES vote means:
The state’s annual revenue limit would be tied to the prior year’s revenue plus average wage and salary growth, and revenue above the limit would be refunded to taxpayers the next year.
A NO vote means:
The law on state revenue collection would not change.
Question 6 · Law proposed by initiative petition
Natural Resource Conservation Fund
A YES vote means:
A Nature for All Fund would be created and, subject to legislative appropriation, would receive state sales taxes on sporting goods, recreational vehicles, and golf courses (50% at first, 100% after July 1, 2028) for natural resource conservation.
A NO vote means:
This fund would not be created and the way these sales and use taxes are spent would not change.
Question 7 · Law proposed by initiative petition
Single Family Homes
A YES vote means:
Single-family homes could be built on residential lots of at least 5,000 square feet with at least 50 feet of street frontage and public water and sewer, subject to reasonable local rules.
A NO vote means:
The law on building single-family homes would not change.
Question 8 · Law proposed by initiative petition
Prohibit Retail Sale of Adult Recreational Use Marijuana
Heads up: voting YES on this measure repeals existing laws, the laws that legalize, regulate, and tax retail sales of adult recreational marijuana.
A YES vote means:
The laws that legalize, regulate, and tax retail sales of adult recreational marijuana would be repealed starting January 1, 2028. Adults 21 and older could still possess and give away up to 1 ounce, and medical marijuana would remain legal.
A NO vote means:
Massachusetts marijuana law would not change.
Question 9 · Referendum on an existing law
Firearms Regulation
A YES vote means:
The 2024 firearms law stays in place, including its rules on ghost guns, machine-gun conversion devices, assault-style weapons, licensing, and carrying in certain places.
A NO vote means:
The 2024 firearms law would be repealed.
All nine statewide questions in the 2026 Information for Voters. YES/NO explanations follow the official “What your vote will do” statements written by the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Question 9 is a referendum: a YES vote keeps the existing law and a NO vote repeals it.