Politics

44 proposed Mass. ballot questions, including rent control, move to next step — and 3 don’t make the cut

Now the processing of collecting thousands of signatures begins.

Voters fill out their ballots at Hyde Community Center in Newton in 2019. Jessica Rinaldi/The BostonGlobe

By Madison Lucchesi

4 minutes to read

Forty-four proposed ballot questions moved on to the next step in the process, while three didn’t make the cut, Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced on Wednesday. 

From those 44, 40 proposed laws could end up as questions on the November 2026 ballot, and four proposed constitutional amendments could be on the November 2028 ballot.

“I applaud the civic engagement of our residents, who filed a record-breaking 47 ballot initiative petitions this year,” said Campbell. “My office reviews each petition according to the strict criteria outlined in Article 48 of our state constitution,” and other constitutional policies and personal opinions are not taken into consideration, she said.

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The three initiatives that did not make the cut – to eliminate no-excuse mail-in voting; to add an amendment requiring a fair and accountable Legislature; and one version of the proposal to create all-party state primaries – did not meet the requirements set by Massachusetts state law, according to Attorney General Campbell.

The teams behind the proposed laws must gather signatures from 74,574 registered voters by Dec. 3. Then, the Legislature will consider each initiative and determine by May 6 whether it will pass the law as proposed, ending the process for that proposal.

If the Legislature does not decide to pass an initiative, proponents must gather an additional 12,429 signatures from voters by July 1 to make it onto the ballot, according to the Attorney General’s office. 

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For proposed constitutional amendments, 25% of two consecutive joint sessions of the Legislature must approve of the proposed amendment to appear on the ballot no earlier than November 2028, according to the Attorney General’s office. 

Of the 44 continuing proposals, there are several that have already gained the public’s attention, even though they’re not yet on the ballot. 

Rent control is one of the most closely watched proposals potentially headed for next year’s ballot. The proposal would limit rent increases to the increase of the Consumer Price Index, or 5%, whichever is lower, beginning with rates as of Jan. 31, 2026. The rule would not apply to owner-occupied buildings with less than four units and units that received occupancy certification within the last decade. 

The MBTA Communities Act, which requires multi-family housing in MBTA-hosting communities to address the housing crisis, could be repealed on next year’s ballot with a proposal looking to annul the law and eliminate punishments for noncompliance. 

More on MBTA Communities Act:

Proposed by Secretary of State Bill Galvin, same-day voter registration could bcome law in Massachusetts, pushing back against President Trump’s various attempts to crack down on alleged voter fraud. Same-day registration would allow an eligible voter to register to vote at their polling place after providing identification and signing a written oath. 

More on Galvin's Voting Initiatives:

With several proposals regarding taxes, three are among those gaining traction with the public: one to reduce the state income tax, another to limit tax collection growth, and the third to end the gas tax.

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For state income tax, the proposed law would decrease the tax from 5% to 4.67% as of 2027, 4.44% as of 2028, and 4% as of 2029. 

For tax collection growth, the growth would be limited by a redefinition of state tax revenues and computed maximum state tax revenues in state law. 

Another proposal sure to be closely watched is one that would reduce the gas tax from $0.24 per gallon to $0.05 per gallon until it is eliminated by Jan. 1, 2036.

There are also two petitions aim to repeal or modify parts of the state’s laws on recreational marijuana.

More on Marijuana proposals:

Follow the links below for full details on each of the proposed ballot questions.

The 44 initiative petitions that moved on

  1. A Constitutional Amendment relative to voting rights
  2. A Constitutional Amendment regarding the public funding of abortion
  3. A law to allow single-family homes on small lots in areas with adequate infrastructure
  4. A law to require voter identification in Massachusetts – Version A
  5. A law to require voter identification in Massachusetts – Version B
  6. A law to classify the content of the Massachusetts Central Registry of Voters as public records
  7. A law relative to Election Day registration
  8. A law relative to regulating marijuana – Version A
  9. A law relative to regulating marijuana – Version B
  10. A law to implement all-party State Primaries – Version B
  11. A law to implement all-party State Primaries – Version C
  12. A law to improve access to public records
  13. A law to protect water & nature – Version A
  14. A law to protect water & nature – Version B
  15. A law relative to limiting State tax collection growth and returning surpluses to taxpayers
  16. A law relative to reducing the State Personal Income Tax rate from 5% to 4%
  17. A Constitutional Amendment extending the People’s Right of Self-Government
  18. A Constitutional Amendment to recall elections for statewide, countywide, and districtwide elected officers
  19. Protect tenants by limiting rent increases
  20. A law relative to labor relations policies for Committee for Public Counsel Services Employees
  21. A law reducing the burden of Sales and Use Taxes
  22. A law relative to zero emission vehicles, zero emission home heating systems, and home solar powered electricity
  23. A law relative to the safety of autonomous vehicles
  24. A law relative to larceny, including shoplifting
  25. A law to end the Gas Tax
  26. A law to cap Residential and Commercial Property Tax increases
  27. A law expanding eligibility for Paid Family and Medical Leave
  28. A law to provide the right to counsel in eviction proceedings
  29. A law to provide the right to counsel in eviction proceedings and foreclosure proceedings
  30. An act to repeal MBTA Zoning
  31. An act preserving local control of zoning
  32. An act to prevent overdevelopment
  33. An act reforming the zoning process
  34. An act to eliminate legislative stipends
  35. An act to reform and regulate legislative stipends
  36. A law relative to corporate radiation limits
  37. A law relative to corporate radiation limits and compliance
  38. A law relative to corporate radiation limits, compliance, and legal challenge
  39. A law to promote consent and transparency in utility billing
  40. A law to eliminate revenue-based reconciliation in utility rate structures
  41. A law to guarantee analog utility meter availability and informed consent for wireless metering
  42. A law to promote consent and transparency in electric utility billing – Version A
  43. A law to promote consent and transparency in electric utility billing – Version B
  44. A law to promote consent and transparency in electric utility billing

The proposed initiatives that did not move on

  1. A law to require compliance with the current absentee ballot procedure for early mail-in voting in Massachusetts
  2. A law to implement all-party State Primaries – Version A
  3. A Constitutional Amendment relative to a fair and accountable Legislature

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