Ballotpedia completed an inventory of all Massachusetts ballot measures dating back to 1910. Massachusetts voters have voted on 231 ballot measures between 1910 and 2024. Of those, 161 (70%) were approved and 70 (30%) were defeated.
In Massachusetts, citizens have the power to indirectly initiate state statutes, veto referendums, and constitutional amendments. While a direct initiated measure is placed on the ballot once supporters file the required number of valid signatures, an indirect initiated measure is first presented to the state legislature for them to approve or reject. If it is rejected, the initiative is placed on the ballot for voters to decide.
In 1918, 51% of voters approved a constitutional amendment granting the initiative power to the people, by which Massachusetts became the twenty-first state in the nation to establish an initiative and referendum process.
The Massachusetts General Court, the state’s legislative body, has the power to refer constitutional amendments, advisory questions, and constitutional convention questions to the ballot. A simple majority vote is required during two successive joint legislative sessions for the Massachusetts State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot.
Between 1910 and 2024, 40% of the measures (92) were referred to the ballot by the state legislature, 50% of the measures (116) were citizen-initiated, and 10% of the measures were placed on the ballot by a constitutional convention. Legislatively referred measures passed 86% of the time, compared to a 51% approval rate for initiatives placed on the ballot by citizens. Voters approved 100% of the constitutional convention ballot measures.
Massachusetts ballot measures have addressed 131 unique topics, with some addressing multiple topics in one measure. The top three topics by frequency were income taxes, business regulations, and state legislative processes and sessions. Other notable topics included voting and elections, taxation, and constitutional rights and language, among others.
Voting, elections, and government
- In 1915, male voters rejected a constitutional amendment to grant women the right to vote under the Massachusetts Constitution, with 65% voting against the proposal.
- In 1938, voters approved Question 1, a ballot initiative that changed legislative sessions—and the state budget—from annual to biennial. However, in 1944, the legislature placed a constitutional amendment, Question 3, on the ballot to reverse that change, which voters approved.
- In 1950, voters changed the constitutional signature requirements for ballot initiatives from fixed numbers to percentages based on the total number of votes cast for governor in the most recent state election.
- In 1966, voters approved a constitutional amendment, Question 1, that provided for gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates to run on a joint ticket at elections.
- Voters approved a constitutional amendment, Question 2, in 1974 that downsized the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 240 to 160 state representatives.
- Voters approved a ballot initiative, Question 2, in 1998 that created a public campaign financing system for state candidates who agree to spending and contribution limits.
- Voters rejected Question 2 in 2006, which proposed implementing a system of fusion voting that would have allowed candidates for public office to be nominated by more than one political party or political designation.
- In 2020, voters rejected Question 2, which would have adopted ranked-choice voting for congressional, state, and specific local elections.
Taxation
- Voters rejected ballot measures to establish a graduated income tax, rather than a flat rate, in 1962, 1968, 1972, 1976, and 1994. However, in 2022, voters approved Question 1, which created an additional tax of 4% for income over $1 million, in addition to the existing 5%.
- Voters approved Question 2, also known as Proposition 2½, in 1980. Question 2 limited total state and local taxes on real estate and personal property to 2.5%, among other changes.
- Voters approved a ballot initiative, Question 4, in 2000 to decrease the state income tax from 5.95% to 5.00%. Voters twice rejected ballot initiatives—in 2002 and 2008—to eliminate the income tax.
Constitutional rights and language
- Voters approved Question 5 in 1972, which provided for a state constitutional right to clean air and water, freedom from excessive noise, and the protection of environmental and natural resource qualities.
- In 1976, voters approved Question 1, which prohibited the denial or abridgment of rights on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, or national origin.
- In 1986, voters rejected Question 1, which would have added language to the state constitution that said that nothing in the constitution could prevent the Massachusetts General Court from regulating or prohibiting abortion. With Question 1, Massachusetts joined Rhode Island as the first states to vote on constitutional amendments stating that their state constitution could not be interpreted as providing a right to abortion.
Other measures
- Voters twice rejected citizen-initiated ballot measures that would have decriminalized providing married persons with contraceptives. In 1942, 58% of voters rejected Question 1. In 1948, 57% of voters rejected Question 4.
- In 1948, voters rejected Question 5, a ballot initiative to adopt a right-to-work law prohibiting membership or non-membership in a labor organization as a condition of employment.
- The issue of vehicle seat belts appeared on the ballot twice. In 1986, voters rejected Question 5, repealing a law that required drivers and passengers to wear seat belts. The state legislature later passed a new seat belt law, which was again challenged through a veto referendum. In 1994, voters approved Question 2, upholding the new requirement for drivers and passengers to wear seat belts.
- In 1994, voters approved Question 9, which prohibited rent control laws in the state. The vote was 51% to 49%.
- In 2002, voters approved Question 2, a ballot initiative that replaced the transitional bilingual education system in public schools with a sheltered English immersion program, requiring that all subjects be taught in English. The initiative stated, “The English language is the common public language of the United States of America and of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”
The average number of ballot measures per decade was just above 19, with an average approval rate of 67%. The 1910s had both the highest number of measures, with 38 on the ballot, and the highest approval rate—36 (95%) were approved and 2 (5%) were defeated. The 1950s saw the fewest number of measures, with six on the ballot—four (66%) were approved and two (33%) were defeated. The lowest approval rate was in the 1980s, when 22 measures were decided—10 (41%) were approved and 12 (58%) were defeated.
Between 1910 and 2024, eight different types of ballot measures have appeared on the ballot in Massachusetts. Indirect initiated state statutes have appeared on the ballot more than any other type (91). Legislatively referred constitutional amendments had the highest success rate at the ballot box, with 60 (85%) of the 71 measures approved by voters.
The inventory of Massachusetts statewide ballot measures is part of Ballotpedia’s Historical Ballot Measure Factbook, which will document nearly 200 years of direct democracy in the United States. This ongoing research effort will provide an unparalleled resource for researchers, reporters, and the voting public on how ballot measures have evolved, the issues they’ve covered, and the role they have played in our civic life.
