In the 2026 election, Massachusetts voters will be asked to vote on nine ballot questions. It’s the most since 1992. These questions affect candidates and cannabis. Voter registration and nature conservation. In theory, you get to make or change nine laws and every lawmaker on Beacon Hill wants to change the system.
“Why do you think there’s an issue with how we do ballot questions?” WBZ-TV’s David Wade asked Sal DiDomenico, assistant majority leader of the Massachusetts State Senate. “There’s a lot of folks behind those questions and we want to know who they are,” he said.
Ballot question transparency
Sen. DiDomenico (D) was the lead sponsor of Senate legislation to force the groups behind the ballot questions to be more transparent about where they’re getting their money. The Senate passed his legislation, 38 to 0. Then the House passed a similar version, 149 to 0.
Both sides want to put an end to what they call the “dark period.” Right now, for eight months, starting in January, ballot campaigns don’t have to report who’s giving them money, until 60 days before the election. Yet, individuals running for office have to file those reports every month…