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Massachusetts 2026 ballot measures
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| 2026 Massachusetts Ballot Measures | |
|---|---|
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As of December 22, 2025, one statewide ballot measure was certified for the ballot in Massachusetts for the election on November 3, 2026.
On the ballot
- See also: 2026 ballot measures
| Type | Title | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firearm Regulations Referendum | Firearms | Uphold the legislation, An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws (H. 4885), passed in 2024 |
Potential measures
Certified to the legislature
| Name | Type | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Decrease State Income Tax Rate to 4% Initiative (2026) | Income taxes | Decrease the state tax rates for personal taxable income from 5% to 4% | |
| Massachusetts Eliminate Recreational Marijuana Sales and Allow Limited Possession Initiative (2026) | Marijuana; Drug crime | Repeal laws that permit the sale of recreational marijuana and the personal cultivation of cannabis in homes | |
| Massachusetts Permit Same-Day Voter Registration Initiative (2026) | Voter registration | Provide for same-day voter registration | |
| Massachusetts Rent Control Initiative (2026) | Rent | Establish rent control, limiting annual rent increases for residential units to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or 5%, whichever is lower | |
| Massachusetts Top-Two Primary Elections Initiative (2026) | Primary elections | Eliminate political party primaries for state elections and create a single primary where candidates are listed regardless of their political party |
Signatures submitted
| Name | Type | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Change State Tax Revenue Limit Initiative (2026) | Revenue and spending limits | Change the limit of how much revenue the state can collect in a given year | |
| Massachusetts Establish the Nature for All Fund Initiative (2026) | Parks and conservation; Spending | Create a fund for state money, titled the Nature for All Fund, that would be used to further efforts of nature conservation | |
| Massachusetts Legislative Stipend Calculation and Payment Rules Initiative (2026) | Salaries | Change the method of calculating the stipends that state legislators receive in addition to their base salaries | |
| Massachusetts Limit on Required Lot Size for Single-Family Homes Initiative (2026) | Land use | Require cities and towns to allow single-family homes on residentially zoned lots that meet minimum standards of at least 5,000 square feet in area | |
| Massachusetts Permit Collective Bargaining for Committee for Public Counsel Services Employees Initiative (2026) | Labor | Permit employees of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) to participate in collective bargaining practices | |
| Massachusetts Public Records Requirements for Legislature and Governor’s Office Initiative (2026) | Public information | Make records held by the state legislature and the governor's office public records |
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.
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.
Not on the ballot
| Name | Type | Subject | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Allow for Expanded Eligibility in Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Initiative (2026) | Sick leave | Allow employees who are exempt from PFML benefits to opt-in to pay into the PFML program | |
| Massachusetts Alter the Process for Municipal Zoning Legislation Initiative (2026) | Land use | Make a number of changes to the process for changing or creating local zoning laws, including requiring a 2/3 approval from the legislative body | |
| Massachusetts Change the Threshold for Larceny Sentencing Calculations Initiative (2026) | Criminal sentencing | Make larceny of property valued at $600 or more punishable by up to five years in prison, or by a fine of up to $25,000 and up to two years in prison | |
| Massachusetts Classify the Central Registry of Voters as a Public Record Initiative (2026) | Public information | Make the state voter registry information a public record and permit any individual to request the data held therein | |
| Massachusetts Create a Tax Credit for Electric Vehicles and Heat and Solar Power Systems Initiative (2026) | Income taxes | Create an income tax credit for taxpayers who buy an electric vehicle, an energy storage system, a heat and solar power systems | |
| Massachusetts Declare that Zoning and Land Use are Local Matters Initiative (2026) | Land use | Declare that zoning and land use are primary, though not exclusive, matters of local controls | |
| Massachusetts Decrease State Sales and Use Tax Initiative (2026) | Sales taxes | Decrease the state sales and use taxes to 5.00% | |
| Massachusetts Eliminate Legislative Stipends Initiative (2026) | Salaries | Eliminate stipends for legislators that are provided in addition to their base salaries | |
| Massachusetts Eliminate the State Fuel Tax Initiative (2026) | Fuel taxes | Eliminate the state gas tax by 2036 | |
| Massachusetts Joint Bill Committees and State Legislature Compensation Amendment (2026) | Salaries; Legislative processes | Provide for joint bill committees and require equal legislative compensation | |
| Massachusetts Limit Property Tax Increases for Residential and Commercial Parcels Initiative (2026) | Property taxes | Limit property tax increases by stating that property taxes can not be more than 102.5% of the property tax assessed for the previous year | |
| Massachusetts Prohibit Revenue Decoupling Mechanisms for Utilities Companies Initiative (2026) | Utilities | Ban the use of revenue decoupling mechanisms for utility companies regulated by the Department of Public Utilities | |
| Massachusetts Prohibit the State from Requiring Dense Zoning Districts Initiative (2026) | Land use | Prohibit the state from requiring that any city or town have a zoning district that allows six or more units in one acre of land | |
| Massachusetts Provide Legal Representation for Foreclosure and Eviction Proceedings Initiative (2026) | Civil trials | Create a program which would provide legal representation in eviction and foreclosure proceedings | |
| Massachusetts Recall of Statewide, Countywide, and Districtwide Elected Officials Amendment (2026) | Recall | Establish a recall process for statewide, countywide, and districtwide elected officials | |
| Massachusetts Repeal Multi-Family Zoning Requirements in MBTA Communities Initiative (2026) | Housing; Land use | Repeal the 2021 MBTA zoning law | |
| Massachusetts Require Availability of Analog Utility Meters Initiative (2026) | Utilities | Require water, gas, and electric companies to provide an analog meter at a customer's request | |
| Massachusetts Require Human Operators in Self-Driving Vehicles in the Transportation Industry Initiative (2026) | Vehicles | Require self-driving vehicles to have a human safety operator in the vehicle | |
| Massachusetts Require Mail-In Voters to Comply with Absentee Ballot Procedures Initiative (2026) | Absentee voting | Require voters that want to vote early by mail to vote according to the absentee ballot procedures | |
| Massachusetts Require Technological Corporations to Make Design Choices that Reduce Electromagnetic Radiation Initiative (2026) | Energy conservation; Energy markets | Require companies to make technological decisions that reduce electromagnetic radiation | |
| Massachusetts Require Voter Photo ID Initiative (2026) | Voter ID | Require photo identification in order to cast a ballot | |
| Massachusetts Require Written Consent for Charges in Delivering Utilities Initiative (2026) | Utilities | Require electric and gas companies to receive written consent for any charges they collect that are not directly related to the physical delivery of gas or electricity | |
| Massachusetts Right to Privacy Amendment (2026) | Constitutional rights | Establishes a right to privacy in the state constitution | |
| Massachusetts State Legislature Compensation Amendment (2026) | Salaries | Require the same compensation for all legislative members equal to a living wage | |
| Massachusetts Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Amendment (2026) | Suffrage | Repeal the article of the state constitution that prohibits felons from voting |
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 seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More Massachusetts coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Massachusetts
- United States congressional delegations from Massachusetts
- Public policy in Massachusetts
- Endorsers in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts fact checks
- More...
See also
- 2026 ballot measures
- List of Massachusetts ballot measures
- Laws governing the initiative process in Massachusetts
- Massachusetts General Court
