Petitioning for a Ballot Question
Voters in Massachusetts can petition to put certain types of questions on election ballots. Ballot questions can be used as an alternative to the normal legislative process or to provide elected officials with information on how voters feel about a particular topic.
For all types of ballot question petitions, petitioners collect signatures of registered voters on paper petition forms. Most types of ballot questions require specific petition forms provided by an election official. The number of signatures needed to qualify a question for the ballot depends on the type of question. Only certain types of questions authorized by law can be printed on a ballot.
Read on to learn more about the types of ballots questions allowed in Massachusetts, and how to start the process.
Statewide Ballot Questions
Statewide ballot questions are printed on regular state election ballots, and can be used as an alternative to the normal legislative process. Petitions for statewide ballot questions are known as initiative petitions.
The Massachusetts Constitution allows voters to use the initiative petition process to:
- Create a new law
- Amend an existing law
- Repeal a recently passed law
- Amend the Massachusetts Constitution
The process for placing a question on the state ballot can take years, depending on the type of question involved and when you begin. The number of signatures required is based on the percentage of votes cast in the most recent election for Governor, and therefore changes every four years.
Certain topics cannot be the subject of initiative petitions. Petitions that relate to religion, judges, the courts, specific places in the Commonwealth, specific appropriations, and certain provisions in the Massachusetts Constitution’s Declaration of Rights are not permitted. Further, if the voters reject a question, it cannot be placed on the ballot again for the next two state elections.
If you would like to petition to place one of these types of questions on a state election ballot, download our Guide to Statewide Ballot Question Petitions for detailed information about the process and requirements.
Public Policy Questions
The Massachusetts Constitution also allows voters to petition for non-binding public policy questions to appear on state election ballots in state legislative districts.
Unlike initiative petition questions, public policy questions do not have any legal effect. These questions operate like public opinion polls, instructing a state representative or state senator on the opinions of voters in their district on a specific matter of public policy.
At least 200 certified signatures must be submitted to place a question on the ballot in a state representative district, while at least 1,200 certified signatures are required for a state senate district.
Public policy question petitions are released in April of the election year. Petitions must be certified by local election officials and then submitted to the Elections Division by the first Wednesday in August.
Local Ballot Questions
Ballot questions on city and town election ballots are common. Not all types of local ballot questions are allowed to be placed on the ballot by petition of the voters, however. In order to petition for a question on a local election ballot, a state law or local charter must allow for a petition process.
Petition and signature requirements for local ballot questions are typically set by the law or charter that authorizes that question to appear on the ballot. Contact your local election office for information on the types of ballot question petitions allowed in your community, and how to petition.