40+ Potential Ballot Questions Could Shape Massachusetts 2026 Election
Some folks say they don’t vote because they are not familiar enough with the issues and candidates. Others say they don’t participate because they believe their vote doesn’t matter. Then there are those for whom a hectic life schedule doesn’t permit the time to head to the polls.
All of this could impact the turnout for the 2026 Massachusetts statewide election.
Audit Frustration and Legislative Accountability
In the last election, voters overwhelmingly authorized State Auditor Diana DiZoglio to conduct an audit of the Massachusetts Legislature. Not only has the audit not occurred, but the powerful cabal that runs Massachusetts government is doing everything it can to block implementation of the law. You can understand why some feel their vote doesn’t matter.
A shrinking news media that is more focused on Taylor Swift and cultural trends than on political issues and governance does a disservice to potential voters seeking information about who and what they are voting for.
Add to all of this a greater reliance on the initiative petition process to settle important issues that once were resolved by Beacon Hill lawmakers, and you can understand why some voters feel ill-equipped and too strapped for time to grapple with a growing list of complicated ballot questions in the voting booth.
Ballot Questions Shaping 2026
Boston’s WBZ-TV recently reported, “More than 40 ballot questions in Massachusetts cleared an initial deadline on Wednesday evening to potentially appear before voters in the 2026 election.”
“The initiative petitions cover a wide range of topics, including voter identification requirements and same-day registration on Election Day, a repeal of the MBTA Communities Law, tax cuts, and self-driving cars,” according to the station.
Other proposed ballot questions for the 2026 election include repealing the state’s gas tax, reversing the recently enacted gun law, and ending lawmaker stipends.
Most of the questions will not meet the requirements to appear on the ballot, but some will.
Initiative Petitions vs. Lawmakers
Some voters, already frustrated by their audit demand being ignored, are concerned that highly-paid state lawmakers are abdicating their responsibility to enact laws by relying instead on them to do the heavy lifting through the initiative petition process, only to have the results ignored.
If voters are going to decide these important issues on the ballot, why do we need to pay lawmakers?
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