A wave of possible reform is headed for the 2026 Mass. ballot
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More than 40 proposed ballot questions cleared last week's filing deadline for the 2026 election, covering issues like voting procedures, government transparency, voter ID and lawmaker salary.
Why it matters: Bay Staters could weigh in on an unprecedented number of ballot questions next year as activists increasingly bypass lawmakers and head straight to voters to address pressing issues.
Driving the news: If activists secure enough voter signatures, their legal language is approved and Democratic leaders at the State House remain inactive, voters will have to decide whether to introduce a robust new rent control system in Massachusetts.
- They'll also be asked about repealing the MBTA zoning law that mandates housing construction in communities with public transit.
The intrigue: Ballot campaigns have formed on a number of government reform questions.
- Campaigns seek to require voter ID for in-person and mail-in voting.
- Other campaigns look to enact same-day voter registration on Election Day, eliminate legislative leadership stipends and create an open primary system to replace partisan voting.
- One potential question would extend the public records law to cover the Legislature and the governor's office.
Between the lines: Policy advocates have increasingly turned to the ballot to get new laws on the books over the last decade as Beacon Hill's own lawmaking pace has slowed considerably.
- Massachusetts has only passed seven laws in 2025, placing the commonwealth dead last in legislative productivity according to a study by Fiscal Note.
- Only 0.1% of introduced bills have passed so far this year, by far the lowest percentage in the country.
- Lawmakers typically wait until their annual or biennial session deadlines in July or November to pass a flurry of legislation.
What's next: Attorney General Andrea Campbell has until Sept. 3 to certify the petitions that meet constitutional requirements.
- Approved campaigns then have to gather 74,574 signatures by Dec. 3 and another set of 12,429 signatures if the Legislature doesn't act on the issue.
The bottom line: Most of the proposed questions make up a wave of accountability measures meant to check the way Beacon Hill does business.
- Voters decided 71.5%-to-28.5% in 2024 to give the state auditor investigative powers over the Legislature, but lawmakers have delayed the transparency law's implementation, calling it unconstitutional.