Unpacking the 2026 Massachusetts Ballot Questions

As Massachusetts voters head to the polls, choosing their picks for governor, senator, and other elected offices is just the start of the paperwork. This year there are a whopping nine questions on the state ballot, as well. Suffolk University Political Science & Legal Studies Professor Rachael Cobb and Shoshana Madmoni-Gerber, professor and chair of communication, journalism & media, break it all down in their nonpartisan podcast “Election Connection.” 

“How many pages is this ballot going to be?” Cobb wondered aloud. According to their guest, Evan Horowitz, executive director of Tufts University’s Center for State Policy Analysis, the 2026 Massachusetts ballot will cover two full pages, front and back, and spill over to the front of a third.  

“More than a midterm exam!” quipped Madmoni-Gerber.  

The ballot questions include diverse topics, from a same-day voter registration initiative to an effort to reverse the state’s marijuana law—as well as nuanced questions about state tax revenue, housing, and the primary process. As they aim to do in every episode, Cobb and Madmoni-Gerber offer a no-spin, easy-to-understand explainer that will empower voters to make informed choices.  

Listen to their episode, “Unpacking the 2026 Massachusetts Midterm Ballot Questions" and more.