Massachusetts 2022 ballot measures
| 2022 Massachusetts Ballot Measures | |
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As of February 5, 2022, one statewide ballot measure was certified for the ballot in Massachusetts for the election on November 8, 2022.
On the ballot
| Type | Title | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| LRCA | Income Tax for Education and Transportation Amendment | Taxes | Creates a 4% tax on incomes that exceed $1 million for education and transportation purposes |
Potential measures
The following ballot initiatives are certified to the state legislature:
| Type | Title | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| IndISS | Changes to Alcohol Retail Licensing Initiative | Alcohol | Changes the number of licenses per establishment granted incrementally from no more than 12 in 2023 to no more than 18 by 2031 and prohibits in-store automated and self-checkout sales of alcohol |
| IndISS | App-Based Drivers as Contractors and Labor Policies Initiative (Version A) | Business regulation | Considers app-based drivers to be independent contractors and enacts several labor policies related to app-based companies, including paid occupational safety training |
| IndISS | App-Based Drivers as Contractors and Labor Policies Initiative (Version B) | Business regulation | Considers app-based drivers to be independent contractors and enacts several labor policies related to app-based companies |
| IndISS | Medical Loss Ratios for Dental Insurance Plans Initiative | Healthcare | Enacts a medical loss ratio of 83% for dental insurance plans beginning on January 1, 2024 |
Getting measures on the ballot
Citizens
In Massachusetts, citizens may propose initiated state statutes and initiated constitutional amendments. The power of initiative is indirect in Massachusetts, which means the Massachusetts General Court must consider any successful initiative proposals.
Once enough valid signatures are submitted, proposed statutory initiatives are presented to the legislature. Statutes may be adopted by the legislature by a majority vote in both houses. If a statute proposed by a valid initiative petition is not adopted, proponents must collect another, smaller round of signatures to place the statute on the ballot.
Initiated constitutional amendments— following the submission of enough signatures— must be approved by one-fourth of the legislature in two successive joint sessions to reach the ballot. No secondary batch of signatures is required.
Citizens may also challenge legislation passed by the state legislature in the form of a veto referendum.
The signature requirements for measures targeting the 2022 ballot in Massachusetts are as follows:
| Year | Amendment | Statute | Statute add-on | Veto referendum | Veto referendum (suspension of law) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 80,239 | 80,239 | 13,374 | 40,119 | 53,492 |
Prior to circulation, petitioners must file a preliminary petition with the attorney general. After an application is submitted, the attorney general must review the proposal to ensure that it complies with the state's subject restrictions. If it complies, proponents then submit the petition to the secretary of the commonwealth, and he or she drafts a summary of the proposed law to be included on the official petition form. This summary must be approved by the attorney general.
The deadline for proponents to file initiatives with the attorney general's office was 5:00 p.m. on August 7, 2019. Signatures must be submitted to local registrars of voters by two weeks before the first Wednesday in December of the year prior to the targeted election year. Local registrars of voters must submit certified signature petitions to the secretary of state by the first Wednesday in December.
In order to qualify initiatives for the 2022 ballot in Massachusetts, signatures needed to be submitted to local registrars of voters by November 17, 2021. Certified petitions needed to be provided to the secretary of state by December 1, 2021.
Legislature
- See also: Amending state constitutions
The Massachusetts General Court can also place measures on the ballot as legislatively referred constitutional amendments. Legislative referrals must receive majority approval in two successive joint legislative sessions to be placed on the ballot.
Historical facts
- See also: History of Initiative & Referendum in Massachusetts and List of Massachusetts ballot measures
- A total of 41 measures appeared on statewide ballots in Massachusetts from 1996 to 2020.
- From 1996 to 2020, the number of measures on statewide ballots ranged from zero to eight.
- Between 1996 and 2020, an average of three measures appeared on the ballot in Massachusetts during even-numbered election years.
- Between 1996 and 2020, about 54% (22 of 41) of the total number of measures that appeared on statewide ballots were approved, and about 46% (19 of 41) were defeated.
Not on the ballot
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IndICA | Corporate Personhood and Legislative Regulation of Campaign Finance Initiative | Campaign finance and Definition of a corporation | Excludes corporations from the definition of people; allows the Massachusetts General Court to regulate and set limits on political contributions and expenditures | 
|
| IndICA | No Right to Public Funding for Abortion Initiative | Abortion | Amends the constitution to say "Nothing in this constitution requires the public funding of abortion." |
|
| IndICA | Voting Rights Restoration for Incarcerated Felons Initiative | Suffrage | Annuls Article CXX of the Amendments to the state constitution, thereby restoring voting rights for incarcerated felons |
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| IndISS | Prohibition on Targeting a Person's Employment over Social Media Activity Initiative | Law enforcement | Makes targeting a person's employment over social media posts a felony |
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| IndISS | Prohibition on Smoking in Multi-Living Housing Units Initiative | Tobacco | Prohibits smoking cigarettes, cigars, pipes, electronic cigarette or vaporizer devices, and marijuana in multi-living housing units |
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| IndISS | Elections by Hand-Counted Paper Ballots Initiative | Voting policy and Elections | Requires all votes to be cast on paper and counted by hand |
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| IndISS | Representation of American History in Schools Initiative | Education and Race and ethnicity | Prohibits the representation of American history in a manner that makes "students feel personally responsible, at fault or liable, either individually or as a member of a racial or ethnic group" |
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| IndISS | Changes to Voting Policies Initiative | Voting policy | Prohibits the use of electronic voting machines and electronic tabulation, requires paper ballots with watermarking, and declares election day a state holiday |
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| IndISS | Changes to Voting Policies Initiative | Voting policy | Prohibits the use of electronic voting machines and electronic tabulation, requires paper ballots with watermarking, and declares election day a state holiday |
|
| IndISS | Limiting Hospital Operating Margins and Chief Executive Officer Compensation Initiative | Business regulation | Penalizes hospitals for operating margins exceeding 8% and prohibits the chief executive officer of a hospital from serving on the board of directors and from receiving compensation from any company that develops medical devices and pharmaceuticals |
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| IndISS | Presentation of Voter Identification Initiative | Voting policy measures | Requires valid photographic identification to vote |
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| IndISS | Hospital Chief Executive Officer Compensation Initiative | Business regulation | Prohibits the chief executive officer of a hospital from serving on the board of directors and from receiving compensation from any company that develops medical devices and pharmaceuticals |
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| IndISS | Limiting Hospital Operating Margins Initiative | Business regulation | Penalizes hospitals for operating margins exceeding 8% and establishes Medicaid Reimbursement Enhancement Fund |
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| IndISS | Repeal Prohibition on "Happy Hours" Initiative | Alcohol | Authorizes the sale of discounted alcoholic drinks and other changes to repeal the prohibition on "happy hours" enacted in 1984 |
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| IndISS | Voter Identification Initiative | Voting policy | Requires valid photographic identification to vote |
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| IndISS | Hate Crimes Against First Responders Initiative | Law enforcement | Including active and retired first responders in the list of protected classes under Massachusetts' hate crime laws |
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| IndISS | Regulation of Commercial Retail of Fireworks Initiative | Business regulation | Establishes the Consumer Fireworks Regulation Commission to regulate the sale of fireworks |
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| IndISS | Whale and Sea Turtle Commercial Marine Fisheries Initiative | Hunting and fishing | Prohibit the use of commercial fishing gear that entangles whales and sea turtles |
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| IndISS | Prohibition on Restricting Gasoline Supply Initiative | Energy | Prohibits the use of "any tax, fee, other revenue-generating mechanism, or market-based compliance mechanism" to restrict the supply of gasoline needed to meet consumer demand |
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| IndISS | Public Disclosure of Corporate Tax Returns Initiative | Taxes | Requires the state to publically disclose corporate tax returns in the form of a searchable database three calendar years after the tax return was filed |
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| IndISS | Tax Credits for Zero Emission Vehicles, Zero Emission Home Heating Systems, and Home Solar Powered Electricity Initiative | Energy | Authorizes tax credits for individuals who buy zero emission vehicles, home heating systems, and home solar powered electricity |
|
| IndISS | Medical Care Requirements for Born-Alive Infants Initiative | Healthcare | Requires medical care be provided to infants born alive |
|
State profile
| Demographic data for Massachusetts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 6,784,240 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 7,800 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 79.6% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 7.1% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 6% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.9% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 10.6% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 40.5% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $68,563 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 13.1% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Massachusetts. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
Massachusetts voted for the Democratic candidate in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.
More Massachusetts coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Massachusetts
- United States congressional delegations from Massachusetts
- Public policy in Massachusetts
- Influencers in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts fact checks
- More...
See also
- 2022 ballot measures
- List of Massachusetts ballot measures
- Laws governing the initiative process in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts General Court
External links
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