LWVMA Statement on 2026 Ballot Questions

January 22, 2026

Due to the high volume of member inquiries, the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (LWVMA) Board of Directors offers the following statement on Ballot Questions for the November 3, 2026 election. While the Board has taken votes to provide a stance on each proposed measure, questions do not become official until July.

The LWVMA Board votes to support, oppose, or take no position on specific ballot questions based on positions or goals previously researched and adopted by the League, which are described in Impact on Issues (LWVUS) and Where We Stand (LWVMA). As a nonpartisan political organization, LWVMA does not endorse political parties or candidates, but does advocate for issues that the organization has studied and taken a position on after consensus from members.

Summary of Positions

LWVMA supports the following Ballot Questions for the November 3, 2026, election. This means that League members may participate in Yes campaigns for these Ballot Questions.

• Election Day Registration
• Law to Improve Access to Public Records
• Zoning of Single-Family Homes

LWVMA also supports a YES vote on the referendum to repeal firearms laws passed in the last legislative session. A YES vote keeps the legislation intact.

LWVMA opposes the following Ballot Questions for the November 3, 2026, election. This means that members may participate in No campaigns for these questions.

• Limiting State Tax Collection Growth and Returning Surpluses to Taxpayers
• Reducing the State Personal Income Tax Rate from 5% to 4%

LWVMA takes no position on the following Ballot Questions for the November 3, 2026, election. This means that League members may participate in Yes or No campaigns for these Ballot Questions as individuals, but should not do anything to make the public think that LWVMA or a Local League has endorsed a Yes or No campaign.

• Implement All-Party State Primaries “Top 2”
• Act to reform and regulate legislative stipends
• Nature for All Fund
• Protect Tenants by Limiting Rent Increases
• Labor Relations Policies for Committee for Public Counsel Services Employees
• Recriminalize marijuana

Ballot Question Positions

Firearms Law Referendum

LWVMA is participating in the Vote Yes for a Safe Massachusetts campaign to defeat the Massachusetts Firearm Regulations Referendum. This is a veto referendum to repeal An Act Modernizing Firearms Laws. LWVMA supported the passage of this law during the previous legislative session. A YES vote upholds the law as is. A NO vote repeals the law. Learn more and take action via the Yes campaign website.

Support

Election Day Registration: Support 

This proposed law would permit eligible individuals to register to vote or update their voter registration information on Election Day; the current registration cutoff is 10 days before an election. LWVMA supports this question. The right to vote for every eligible American has been a fundamental League principle since its origin.

Law to Improve Access to Public Records: Support

This proposed law would make most records held by the Legislature and the Office of the Governor public records under the Massachusetts Public Records Law. LWVMA supports this question. The League believes that governmental bodies must protect the citizens’ right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions, holding open meetings, and making public records accessible.

Zoning of single-family homes: Support

This proposed law would allow single-family homes to be built on smaller lots in a residentially zoned area according to specific guidelines. It allows municipalities to regulate certain aspects of those single-family homes.

LWVMA supports this question. The League believes government at all levels should develop policies that will assure sufficient land at reasonable cost on which to develop housing and that will assure fulfillment of other goals such as access to employment, preservation of open space, environmental cleanliness and beauty, and other aspects of a suitable living environment. Zoning practices and procedures that will counteract racial and economic isolation should be promoted. Government, industry, and labor should encourage innovative building techniques to reduce the cost of housing production.

Oppose

Limiting State Tax Collection Growth and Returning Surpluses to Taxpayers: Oppose

This proposed law would change the limit on how much revenue the state can collect in a given year. If revenues exceed that limit, the law triggers a refund to taxpayers. LWVMA opposes this question. The League supports the use of certain commonly-accepted criteria in judging taxes, particularly equitability, economic effect, flexibility, ease and cost of collection, and adequacy of yield: Taxes should provide adequate resources for government programs while allowing flexibility for financing future program changes. The League also supports a greater reliance on state-collected taxes to reduce the dependence on the property tax.

Reducing the State Personal Income Tax Rate from 5% to 4%: Oppose

This proposed law would, over a period of three years, lower the personal income tax rate from 5% to 4%. LWVMA opposes this question. The League supports the use of certain commonly-accepted criteria in judging taxes, particularly equitability, economic effect, flexibility, ease and cost of collection, and adequacy of yield: Taxes should provide adequate resources for government programs while allowing flexibility for financing future program changes. The League also supports a greater reliance on state-collected taxes to reduce the dependence on the property tax.

No Position

Implement All Party State Primaries “Top 2”: Take No Position

Implementing All Party State Primaries or Top 2 would eliminate political party primaries for state elections and instead establish a system where there would be a single primary in which all candidates, regardless of their party affiliation, would be listed on one ballot, and voters could vote for any candidate on the ballot. The two candidates receiving the most votes for each office in the primary would advance to the general election ballot. This proposed law would require candidates for governor and lieutenant governor to run and be listed jointly on the ballot in the primary.

LWVMA takes no position on this question. The LWV voting systems position can be interpreted to both support and oppose this question. Due to the ambiguity of the LWV voting systems position, the Board decided to focus on educating voters on the proposal.

Act to reform and regulate legislative stipends: Take No Position

The proposed law changes the method for calculating stipends paid to certain state legislators on top of their base salaries. Legislators would receive stipends, subject to appropriation, based on their leadership positions and/or committee membership, with a highly-detailed procedure specified. LWVMA takes no position on this question. The League supports adequate salary levels for legislators with procedures to determine compensation, and supports a permanent bipartisan commission to establish salaries for the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

“Nature for All” Fund: Take No Position

This proposed law would establish a Nature for All Fund that would designate state taxes collected from the sale and use of sporting goods, recreational vehicles, and golf courses for natural resources conservation.

LWVMA takes no position on this question. Despite LWV’s overwhelming number of positions supporting protections for the environment and natural resources, the crux of this question lies with earmarking sales tax revenue for a specific purpose. The League opposes earmarking specific revenues for specific purposes. If an earmarking measure were proposed, the League would support that it be statutory instead of constitutional, be subject to periodic review and “sunset” provisions that limit the duration of such designation as well as allow the reversion of the earmarked revenues to the general fund.

Protect Tenants by Limiting Rent Increases: Take No Position

This proposed law would limit the annual rent increase for residential units in Massachusetts. LWVMA has no position on rent control and therefore takes no position on this question.

Labor Relations Policies for Committee for Public Counsel Services Employees: Take No Position

This proposed law would permit employees of the Committee for Public Counsel Services to engage in collective bargaining. LWVMA has no position on collective bargaining and therefore takes no position on this question.

An Act to Restore a Sensible Marijuana Policy: Take No Position

This proposed law would recriminalize recreational marijuana sales and use. LWVMA has no position on this topic and therefore takes no position on this question.

Next Steps

The legislature may choose to act on the petitions by May 5. If they take no action, another 12,429 additional signatures are required by June 17. LWVMA will host educational forums when the question numbers are finalized by the Secretary of the Commonwealth in July. Contact the state league regarding educational forums.

Summary