Election Day Newsletter · November 2026 How I'm Voting on the 2026 Ballot Questions

Tomorrow is Election Day, and polls are open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM across Massachusetts. I'm sure it isn't earth-shattering news that I encourage you and everyone else I know across the country to vote Democrat for this crucial midterm election. Here in Massachusetts we have a record-tying nine ballot questions on the ballot, covering everything from public records transparency to housing to gun safety.

Question 1: Expanding the Public Records Law — YES

Question 1 would make most records held by the Legislature and the Governor's Office subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law. I co-founded Act on Mass because I believe the public has a right to know what their government is doing, and I will always vote to expand transparency on Beacon Hill. The exemptions in this proposal are broader than I would like, but a yes vote moves us in the right direction: toward a state government that operates in the open.

Question 2: Collective Bargaining for Public Defenders — YES

Question 2 would give employees of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, our state's public defenders, the right to form a union and collectively bargain. Most state employees already have this right, and the people who represent some of our most vulnerable residents in court deserve it too. Public defenders do critical work under enormous caseloads for modest pay, and collective bargaining is the tool that will help them fight for the conditions they need to do that work well.

Question 3: Replacing Party Primaries with an All-Party Primary — NO

Question 3 would eliminate separate party primaries and replace them with a single all-party primary where the top two vote-getters advance to the general election. In a state as blue as Massachusetts, this would often mean two Democrats on the general election ballot, which might sound fine on the surface, but it would effectively shut out third-party and independent candidates from general elections entirely. It would also strip working-class candidates of institutional party support and resources they need to compete. I am voting no.

Question 4: Election Day Voter Registration — YES

Question 4 would allow eligible voters to register or update their registration at their polling place on Election Day. Twenty-three states already do this, and it works. When I had the opportunity to work on Bernie Sanders' 2016 campaign in New Hampshire, any college student could cast their vote and if they were not on the voter rolls already, they simply had to bring their student ID to prove they were a New Hampshire resident. Massachusetts has made real progress with automatic voter registration, but same-day registration closes the gap for the people who move (say on September 1, which was Election Day this year), who missed an arbitrary deadline, who only learn about an election a few days too late. Every eligible voter who shows up should be able to cast a ballot, and this question makes that possible while still requiring proof of residency.

Question 5: State Revenue Cap and Taxpayer Rebate — NO

Question 5 would change the formula for how the state calculates revenue limits and taxpayer rebates, making rebates more frequent and larger. That might sound appealing, but the way this proposal is written, it would trigger rebates even when state revenues are not particularly strong, draining funds we need for education, transportation, healthcare, and public services. This is a formula designed to starve the budget that funds our universal needs over time, and I am voting no.

Question 6: Natural Resource Conservation Fund — YES

Question 6 would create a dedicated fund for natural resource conservation, drawing on state tax revenue from the sale of sporting goods, recreational vehicles, and golf courses. The idea is straightforward: revenue generated from people enjoying the outdoors goes back into protecting the outdoors. There is no guarantee the Legislature will use the fund for truly new spending rather than shifting existing dollars around, but establishing the fund creates a dedicated revenue stream and a public expectation that conservation will be funded, and that matters.

Question 7: Single-Family Homes on Smaller Lots — YES

Question 7 would override local zoning to allow single-family homes to be built on lots as small as 5,000 square feet in residential areas, with Boston excluded. Local zoning has been used for decades to keep housing scarce and expensive, and this is a reasonable step toward changing that.

Question 8: Repealing Recreational Marijuana Sales — NO

Question 8 would prohibit the sale of retail recreational marijuana in Massachusetts, effectively reversing the legalization voters approved in 2016. No state in the country has legalized recreational marijuana and then reversed course, and doing so would drive marijuana sales back to an unregulated black market. I am voting no.

Question 9: Keeping the 2024 Firearms Safety Law — YES

Question 9 is a referendum on the comprehensive gun safety law the Legislature passed in 2024 (I voted yes), which strengthened regulations on ghost guns, assault-style weapons, and devices that convert semi-automatic firearms into machine guns. A yes vote keeps the law in place, and a no vote would repeal it. Massachusetts already had some of the strongest gun laws in the country, and the 2024 law made critical updates to address the evolving threats our communities face. I am voting yes to keep these protections in place.

Make Your Plan to Vote

Polls are open tomorrow, Tuesday, November 3, from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM. You can find your polling location at VoteInMA.com. Bring a friend, bring a neighbor, bring someone who has never voted before. Nine questions is a lot to take in at the ballot box, so take a few minutes tonight to review your choices and walk in ready.

Find Your Polling Location

See you at the polls.

In solidarity, Erika