From early voting Oct. 17-30, and on Election Day Nov. 3, Massachusetts voters are presented with 9 ballot questions.

A “yes” vote on Question 9 will keep in place the 2024 law that increases the regulation of firearms, including ghost guns, machine guns, and assault-style weapons. A “no” vote would repeal this law. In 2025, Massachusetts had the lowest rate of mass shootings in the country, just 1, producing a rate of .14 per million. Vote “yes” on Question 3.

A “no” vote on Question 3 opposes the “top-two” primary. Question 3 is opposed by the Massachusetts Working Families Party. Josh Wolfsun, director says “We need more competition in our elections, but Question 3 is a worse system dressed up as a solution.” In California “it produced longer, more expensive campaigns that made it harder for grassroots candidates to win, and the state legislature moved right because of it.”

Question 3 is touted as a solution for minor parties and organizations building political power. Instead, a top-two system would remove third parties’ guaranteed spot for their candidates on the general election ballot, making it more likely for them to get locked out of general elections entirely (workingfamilies.org).

According to Act on Mass (actonmass.org) over 70% of the money the sponsor Coalition for a Healthy Democracy raised came from current or former private equity executives. Twenty-two individual donors from Bain Capital, Berkshire Partners, and other private equity firms raised $3.7 million for it. Only one of these 22 individuals is a woman!

WBUR reports groups against Question 3 include the AFL-CIO, several local SEIU chapters, the American Federation of Teachers, and the Massachusetts Democratic Party.
Vote no on Question 3.

Along with Question 3, the Working Families Party opposes Question 5, which would tighten the state’s revenue cap, threatening the funding of schools, healthcare, and other public services. Question 5’s wording says that revenue from the state’s “millionaire tax” is included in this cap. People who earn a million dollars or more a year are sponsoring Question 5 and would receive a significantly large rebate. Vote “no” on Questions 5.

Judy Franklin

Amherst