Massachusetts Question 4, Monthly Lottery Initiative (1950)
| Massachusetts Question 4 | |
|---|---|
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| Election date |
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| Topic Gambling policy |
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| Status |
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| Type Indirect initiated state statute |
Origin |
Massachusetts Question 4 was on the ballot as an indirect initiated state statute in Massachusetts on November 7, 1950. It was defeated.
A “yes” vote supported conducting a monthly lottery and establishing the rates at which met proceeds are to be divided amongst different groups. |
A “no” vote opposed conducting a monthly lottery and establishing the rates at which met proceeds are to be divided amongst different groups. |
Election results
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Massachusetts Question 4 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 644,707 | 41.88% | ||
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894,685 | 58.12% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Question 4 was as follows:
| “ | Do you approve of a law summarized below on which the House of Representatives did not vote and on which the Senate did not vote? | ” |
Ballot summary
The ballot summary for this measure was:
| “ | This measure provides for the creation of a Massachusetts commission for the purpose of conducting once every month a lottery drawing to raise additional funds by means of tickets sold to the public within the Commonwealth, the net proceeds to be divided as follows: 50 per cent to the winners as prizes. 35 percent for assistance to needy aged persons, 7 1/2 per cent for assistance to needy blind persons. 7 1/2 per cent for assistance to dependent children. | ” |
Path to the ballot
Before 1952, citizen-initiated ballot measures in Massachusetts required a fixed number of signatures. In 1950, voters approved a constitutional amendment changing this to a percentage-based system, tying the number of required signatures to ballots cast in the most recent gubernatorial election. Before 1952, the signature requirement for indirect initiated state statutes was 20,000, with an additional 5,000 if the Legislature rejected the proposal and proponents wanted it placed on the ballot.
See also
External links
- William Francis Galvin Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Massachusetts Statewide Ballot Measures: 1919-Present"
- The North Adams Transcript, "Legal Notice!" October 20, 1950
Footnotes
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